This document summarizes Verina Ingram's PhD thesis on how governance impacts the sustainability of livelihoods based on non-timber forest products from Cameroon. The thesis examined 7 value chains involving over 225 non-timber forest products traded by approximately 34,000 people. It found that while some products like gum arabic and honey were sustainably governed, most people earned inadequate incomes from NTFPs and faced an unsustainable lack of governance. The thesis concluded governance must recognize customary and market approaches, support cultivation, address corruption, and protect vulnerable harvesters to improve livelihoods and sustainability over time.
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Win-wins in forest product value chains? How governance impacts the sustainability of livelihoods based on non-timber forest products from Cameroon
1. Win-wins in forest product value chains?
How governance impacts the sustainability of
livelihoods based on non-timber forest products
from Cameroon
Verina Ingram
PhD defence
18 March 2014, Agnietenkapel, University of Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
6. Sustainable
• Development that meets the
needs of the present without
compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their
own needs.
• Cope with risks and shocks, and
improve way of living while not
undermining the natural
environment
7. Governance....
Way a society organises its
self
• Rules of the game
(formal & informal)
• Boundaries
• Umpires
• Supporters
• Winners and losers
8. Problems
Population 19 million & growing
People depend on NTFPs for
subsistence and cash
Increasing deforestation and
degradation
Unsustainable trade
Contradicting governance
regimes
High corruption
9. The question:
How does
governance
impact the
sustainability of
livelihoods
based on NTFPs
?
1. How do these chains work, can
people earn a living, both today and
tomorrow?
2 How is the trade governed?
3. Does this make the trade
sustainable?
4. How can it be done better ?
10. • Talking 2,195 interviews!
• Hassling officials trade data
• Walking observation
• Counting plants resource assessment
• Participatory action research
• Data analysis
Methods : Getting the answers
14. Ineffective laws & customs
Strong union governance
High corruption
High value & demand
Not sustainable
15. Q1. How do these chains work
and can people earn a living,
both today and tomorrow?
• 710 NTFP species, 225 traded
• 34,000 people involved
• 8 NTFP markets worth over US$ 32 million
annually
• Average yearly incomes US$ 3,189 annually,
US$ 1.4 per day per person
• NTFPs not a way out of poverty for most
• Most dependence on NTFP incomes, with
fewer income sources are at end of chain
17. Q3. Are the NTFP chains sustainable?
Pygeum
Gum arabic*
Bamboo
Honey
Yes - Win No - Lose
Cola
Raffia
Bush mango Eru
18. Q4. Recommendations
and some results
• Change the law
• No one arrangement works best
• Plural arrangements work, if recognised and complementary
• And if govern forest species and markets
• Get people in chains talking
• Cultivation
• Know what NTFPs are worth
• Support the most vulnerable people
• Tackle corruption
Chains vary regarding actors (state-non state), institutions (formal-statutory/informal-customary), the rule of market (weak-strong) and regulation of tenure (weak-strong). Prunus strongly formalized, state-governed chain with market access strongly regulated and tenure more weakly regulated chain + NGO-governed chain with moderate market governance and strong customary governance based mainly on informal institutions
NEED TO ADD SCALE USED AND DEFINTNIONS INTO THE METHODOLOGY!!