European Tropical Forest Research Network

By Blanca Méndez and Bert van der Linden

NATIONAL FOREST PROGRAMMES – INSTRUMENTS FOR IMPROVING SECTOR GOVERNANCE? EXPERIENCES OF GERMAN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Thies, W., Pfeil, E. von and Reiche, M. (editors) (2004)

Since 1985, Germany has supported more than 300 projects in some 70 countries worldwide to help create an enabling environment for forest conservation and sustainable forest management. These projects emphasise the importance of the partner countries’ accepting ownership and being in the driving seat and also of participatory, cross-sectoral implementation. In this respect, national forest programmes have become one of the most important forest policy instruments in German development cooperation.

At present Germany is involved in the development of national forest programmes in more than 20 partner countries and regions. Most of them are presented in the document, which hopefully will become a key source of information for specialists and decision-makers at country level and beyond.

BMZ Information Materials No. 129. Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development – Division of Development Information and Education

For more information contact:
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Division of Development Information and Education
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40
53113 Bonn
Germany

Phone: + 49-(0) 228-525-3776
Fax: + 49-(0) 228-535-3985
Website: http://www.bmz.de

MALAWI’S NATIONAL FORESTRY PROGRAMME. PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVING FORESTRY AND LIVELIHOODS

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, Government of Malawi (2001)

Malawi’s forests and trees can and should be used to contribute to poverty eradication, a thriving economy and good environmental management, The National Forestry Programme to help make this a reality. It consists of a set of agreed priorities – written down in this document – and an ongoing process for achieving them. Major problems stand in the way: forest degradation, excessive demands on existing fuelwood resources, and forest institutions poorly equipped for today’s policies and pressures. But the National Forestry Programme has mapped out the strategies and actions, agreed through a wide participatory process, for tackling these problems. Central government, local government, the private sector, civil society and the international community should draw on this document to develop specific initiatives and provide the inspiration and dedication to improve forestry and livelihoods in Malawi.

ISBN 1-899-825-762
For more information contact:
Government of Malawi
Department of Forestry
PFP Co-ordination Unit
PO Box 30048
Lilongwe 3
Malawi

Phone: + 265-771000
Fax: + 265-771812
E-mail: nfpcu@sdnp.org.mw

FORESTS IN POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES: CAPTURING THE POTENTIAL

Oksanen, T., Pajari, B. and Tuomasjukka, T. (editors) (2003)

This is the report of a workshop focused on improving the contribution of forests and the forest sector to the Poverty Reduction Strategy process. The theme is highly relevant both to forest sector policy makers and practitioners in the developing countries and international agencies, as well as to policy makers and practitioners trying to develop effective strategies for poverty reduction. The Workshop gathered together a total of 62 experts. A summary of the discussion in the open session is included in the end of these proceedings.

EFI Proceedings No. 47, 2003. Proceedings of the international “Forests and Poverty Reduction” workshop, held on 1-4 October, 2002, in Tuusula, Finland. ISSN 1237-8801, ISBN 952-9844-96-4

Contact:
European Forest Institute (EFI)
Torikatu 34
FIN-80100 Joensuu
Finland

Phone: + 358-13-252-020
Fax: + 358-13-124- 393

IIED FORESTRY AND LAND USE PROGRAMME: RECENT PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO NFP PROCESSES AND QUESTIONS

Policy that works for forests and people: real prospects for governance and livelihoods.
James Mayers and Stephen Bass. Earthscan, London. 2004. Since its original publication by IIED, in 1999, Policy that Works for Forests and People has been recognised as the most authoritative study to date of policy processes that affect forests and people. Providing a thorough analysis of the issues, options and factors that determine different outcomes and bolstered by a major annex containing tools and tactics, the book offers clear and practical advice on how to formulate, manage and implement policies appropriate to different contexts. These are policies that result in real improvements in the governance, use and economic benefits that can flow from forests to those who depend upon them. This book is essential reading for policy-makers, forestry practitioners and academics and students in all areas of forest policy, management and governance.

To order: via IIED’s website: http://www.iied.org/bookshop/index.html

Ordering information: Earthscan/IIED, Year of publication: 2004 pbk 356 pages, ISBN: 1 84407 096 4, Stock number: 9276IIED, Price: USD 59.95

A pdf of the original (1999) text is available from http://www.iied.org/forestry/pubs/ptw.html

Forestry Tactics: lessons from Malawi’s National Forestry Programme.
James Mayers, John Ngalande, Pippa Bird and Bright Sibale. IIED, London. 2001.

To get anywhere in forestry these days you have to play politics. Forestry can and should improve people’s livelihoods as well as looking after trees – and this means changing the political environment for the better. Malawi’s National Forestry Programme seeks to address this challenge. It is different to many other national forest sector strategies and programmes which exist only as fat documents and lists of projects for which donors cannot be found. It seeks to make the most of existing knowledge and do something with it, to get stake-holders of all kinds negotiating, to focus on a few agreed priority areas, to hit them hard and achieve major change. It’s a big challenge and results to date have been mixed. This study tells the story of Malawi’s NFP so far – it draws out lessons from the process, identifies challenges ahead and identifies a range of practical tactics for national forest programmes which may be useful in others countries.

To order: via IIED’s website: http://www.iied.org/bookshop/index.html

Ordering information: IIED, Year of publication: 2001, 52 pages, ISBN: 1 89982 5851, Stock number: 9009IIED Price: USD 15.00

A pdf of this report may be downloaded from: http://www.iied.org/forestry/pubs/ptw.html

Making the most of market chains: challenges for small-scale farmers and traders in upland Vietnam.
Le Thi Phi, Nguyen Van Duong, Nguyen Ngoc Quang and Phan Lac Vang. Edited by Elaine Morrison and Sonja Vermeulen. IIED, London. 2004.

Market development is key to raising the living standards of people who live in Vietnam’s uplands. Policies and development programmes to help farmers improve production and processing of forest and agricultural products will always be limited without parallel support to marketing. This study shows that efforts to assist farmers (and harvesters of natural produce) to get better and more reliable prices need to take into account full market chains - not just what happens at the “farm gate”. Market opportunities and prices are constrained by factors that affect traders first, with knock-on impacts on taxes to a basic lack of information in villages and district market places. Policy solutions lie not in drawing up new policy statements, but rather in better implementation of the many very positive policies that already exist to support poor upland residents. Fundamentally, better implementation may require some deep-rooted changes in the culture of government and development agencies, to support the individual and group initiatives that small-scale farmers and traders are developing themselves.

To order: via IIED’s website: http://www.iied.org/bookshop/index.html

Ordering information: IIED, Year of publication: 2004, paperback 56 pages, ISBN: 1 84369 5057, Stock number: 9313IIED, Price: USD 9.00

A pdf of this report will soon be available on: http://www.iied.org/forestry/pubs/sm_entrprise.html

Growing Timber Exports: The Brazilian tropical timber industry and international markets.
Duncan Macqueen, Maryanne Grieg-Gran, Eirivelthon Lima, James MacGregor, Frank Merry, Victor Prochnik, Neil Scotland, Roberto Smeraldi and Carlos Young. IIED, London. 2003. (Also available in Portuguese)

Growing Exports is for all those who have an interest or stake in what happens to the Amazon forest, and provides a fresh look at developments in the policies and practice of the Brazilian timber trade though the eyes of those in the value chain. Written by independent Brazilian and international forest experts, it aims to provoke discussion and provide the accurate information needed to underpin negotiated consensus between the interested parties. The Brazilian government aims to more than double timber exports in less than a decade without annihilating the remaining natural forests of Brazil, especially in the legal Amazon. Can it be done? Recent trade trends hint at useful options to explore. Extensive surveys of Brazilian timber producers and international buyers provide more practical information about the critical barriers to be overcome. A comparative study from South East Asia is used to draw lessons about what might make exports grow and at what cost to the forest. Will the free market take care of itself, or are major policy and institutional changes needed to provide a framework for the government’s ambitions of export growth, and if so, how might this be achieved?

To order: via IIED’s website: http://www.iied.org/bookshop/index.html

Ordering information (Portuguese version only): IIED, Year of publication: 2004, paperback 160 pages, ISBN: 1 84369 437 9, Stock number: 9227IIED, Price: USD 22.50

A pdf of the English version may be downloaded from: http://www.iied.org/forestry/pubs/sm_entrprise.html

Could Wood Combat Climate Change? And Could this Help Sustainable Development?
Duncan Macqueen, James Mayers and Hannah Reid. Briefing paper. IIED, London. 2004.

Human induced climate change is one of the most pressing and complex issues facing society in the 21st century. Increased use of forests and wood products, while not replacing the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at source, does make an important contribution towards tackling the problem of climate change. The use of wood products can also provide broader social, economic and environmental benefits. However these broader developmental benefits are not always recognised, nor do they always materialise in tandem with climate change mitigation initiatives. This briefing paper summarises a longer report, prepared for the Nordic Timber Council, which aims to improve understanding of the benefits of, and linkages between, the use of wood products to mitigate climate change and the capacity to deliver broader human development.

A pdf of this publication may be downloaded from http://www.iied.org/climate_change/pubs.html

POLICIES AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE IN WOODLANDS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Kowero, G., Campbell, B.M. and Sumaila, U.R. (editors) (2003)

This book highlights different facets of local community governance of woodlands. The outcomes for people and forest are often dependent on local institutional arrangements (rules, regulations, and organisational dynamics). The book explores the role of local institutional arrangements in woodland management, in community-based approaches and in conflict resolution.

ISBN 979-3361-22-0
For more information contact:
Center for International Forestry Research
Mailing address: PO Box 6596, JKPWB,
Jakarta 10065, Indonesia

Phone + 62-251-622622
Fax: + 62-251-622100
E-mail: cifor@cgiar.org
Website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org

A NEW AGENDA FOR FOREST CONSERVATION AND POVERTY REDUCTION: MAKING MARKETS WORK FOR THE LOW-INCOME PRODUCERS

Scherr, S.J., White, A. and Kaimowitz, D. (2004)

This paper lays out a set of strategies to promote forest conservation in ways that positively contribute to local livelihoods and community development in low- and middle-income countries. The authors fully recognize the critical importance of the “safety net” functions of forests for the poor. But they also identify specific market niches where large numbers of low-income producers have, or could develop, a competitive market advantage. They identify important commercial opportunities for private forest industry, forest enterprises and business service providers to partner with low-income forest producers. They also explore alternative strategies to recognize, encourage and reward forest conservation by local forest owners and users. Real world cases described in the paper illustrate their potential and feasibility, as well as the difficulties to be overcome.

ISBN 0-9713606-6-9, Forest Trends/CIFOR/IUCN

For more information contact:
Forest trends
1050 Potomac Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
USA

Phone + 1-202-298-3000
Website: http://www.forest-trends.org

FINANCIAL MECHANISMS FOR POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT ISSUES. THE BIO-RIGHTS SYSTEM

Silvius, M.J., Setiadi, B., Diemont, W.H., Sjarkowi, F., jansen, H.G.P., Siepel, H., Rieley, J.O, Verhagen, A., Beintema, A., Burnhill, L. and Limin, S.H. (2002)

Bio-rights is a financial mechanism which can assist in reconciling poverty reduction and sustainable use of natural resources in developing countries and countries in transition. The system conditionally compensates for the opportunity costs of local stakeholders to use their natural resources or conserve biodiversity in a sustainable way.

Bio-rights would allow, for instance, the public value of key biodiversity areas to be transferred over time to local stakeholders as a direct economic benefit. This turns natural resource management and biodiversity conservation in the rural frontiers into a development opportunity.

Alterra-report 617, ISSN 1566-7197, Alterra and Wetlands International

For more information contact:
Alterra
PO Box 47
6700 AA Wageningen
The Netherlands
E-mail: Herbert.Diemont@wur.nl and marcel.silvius@wetlands.org

FINANCIAL MECHANISMS FOR POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT ISSUES. THE CASE OF CENTRAL KALIMANTAN (KALTENG)

Clements-Hunt, P., Diemont, H., Limin, S., Page, S., Rieley, J., Setiadi, B., Sjarkowi, F., Silvius, M., Radjagukug, B., Vasander, H. and Verhagen, J. (2002)

Alterra-report 589 – Second edition, ISSN 1566-7197, Alterra and Wetlands International

For more information contact:
Alterra
PO Box 47
6700 AA Wageningen
The Netherlands
E-mail: Herbert.Diemont@wur.nl

ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS: LINKING PROTECTED AREAS WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Bouwma, I., Opdam, P. and Schrevel, A.Alterra, Wageningen UR, the Netherlands

Much of the literature available on ecological networks or links between protected areas is not published in international scientific journals but in reports and on websites. The available information on ecological networks deals mostly with the ecological principles and nature values that form the basis for the design. Seldom is information available on the instruments used to implement them or the institutional setting in which they are implemented. Publications on successes and failures are even scarcer. Bearing these limitations in mind, the authors have reviewed the available information on ecological networks and have tried to find general rules that might explain the differences in the way ecological networks are designed and implemented.

For more information contact:
Alterra
PO Box 47
6700 AA Wageningen
The Netherlands

LYONIA: A JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Lyonia, published by Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, University of Hawaii, is an electronic, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal devoted to the fast dissemination of current ecological research and its application in conservation, management, sustainable development and environmental education. In addition, Lyonia encourages the submission non-peer reviewed manuscripts addressing sustainable development and community issues.

Manuscript submission, peer-review and publication are entirely handled electronically. As articles are accepted they are automatically published as volume in progress and immediately available on the web. Every six months a Volume-in- Progress is declared a Published Volume and subscribers receive the table of Contents via e-mail. Small changes to accepted papers are possible until a volume is declared published.

Lyonia seeks articles from a wide field of disciplines (ecology, biology, anthropology, economics, law etc.) concerned with ecology, conservation, management, sustainable development and education in mountain and island environments with particular emphasis on montane forest of tropical regions.

In its research section Lyonia publishes peer-reviewed scientific papers that report original research on ecology, conservation and management, and particularly invites contributions that show new methodologies employing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. The sustainable development and environmental education section contains reports on these activities. Subscription to Lyonia is free of any charge.

For more information, recent articles, and to set up your free Lyonia subscription, please visit http://www.lyonia.org

Lyonia
Harold L. Lyon Arboretum
3860 Manoa Rd.
Honolulu, HI 98622
USA

Phone: +1-808-988-0456
E-mail: lyonia@lyonia.org

ÖKOLOGIE DER ERDE. BD. 2: SPEZIELLE ÖKOLOGIE DER TROPISCHEN UND SUBTROPISCHEN ZONEN

(Ecology of the earth. Bd. 2: Special ecology of the tropical and subtropical zones) Walter, Heinrich; Breckle, Siegmar-W. (2004).

Die völlig neu bearbeitete 3. Auflage des Bandes 2 der “Ökologie der Erde” ist jetzt herausgekommen. Der Band enthält neben den Feuchttropen auch die Savannen und vor allem die Wüstengebiete der Erde. Der umfangreiche Band (764 Seiten)ist mit zahlreichen Photos, Graphiken und Tabellen (ca 565 Abb. und ca 155 Tab.) illustriert. Die dargebotenen Ergebnisse und Fallbeispiele sowie die Auswertung der neueren Literatur sind in dieser Ausführlichkeit und Auswahl bisher einzigartig. Das Buch kostet (da über die Schimper-Stiftung bezuschußt) nur Euro 50.-. ISBN 3-8274-0789-3 Er ist erschienen bei Elsevier Verlag/Spektrum Akad. Verlag Heidelberg. Die anderen Bände: Band 1 (Einführung), Band 3 (Gemäß. und Arkt. Zonen Euro-Nordasiens) und Band 4 (Gemäß. und Arkt.Zonen außerhalb Euro- Nordasiens) sind noch verfügbar.

ISBN: 3-8274-0789-3 Ellsevier – In German

Contact:
Elsevier Germany
Slevogtstr. 3-5
69126 Heidelberg
Germany

Phone: +49- 62 21- 91- 26 - 300
Fax: + 49-62 21- 91- 26 - 338
Website: http://ww.elsevierdeutschland.de/artikel/711299&_sbid=&_sgid=

TROPICAL FORESTS IN MULTIFUNCTIONAL LANDSCAPES

Zuidema, P.A. (editor) (2003).

Seminar Series: Issues in international nature conservation. Proceedings of two seminars organized by the Prince Bernard Centre for International Nature Conservation, Utrecht University, in collaboration with the Dutch Association for Tropical Foresters, held in Utrecht, 2 December 2002 and 11 April 2003. Prince Bernard Centre, University of Utrecht.

The two seminars included presentations on biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and hydrological functions of undisturbed and exploited tropical forests in the context of multi-functional landscapes. The proceedings include 7 papers that provide an overview of the most important issues related to the potential services of tropical forests in multi-functional landscapes.

For more information contact:
Prince Bernard Centre
Faculty of Biology
University of Utrecht
PO Box 80084
3508 TB Utrecht
The Netherlands

E-mail: pbc@bio.uu.nl
Website: http://www.bio.uu.nl/pbc

DFID/FRP PRUNINGS 2003

“Prunings” from the UK’s DFID Forest research programme are a compilation of one-sheet human interest stories or little prunings taken from the project outputs. You may download the 2003 and 2004 versions, each containing 10 prunings from the ETFRN homepage. Several examples are summarised below.

Building local capacity
R7588: Mesoamerican tree species: a source book for farm planting and ecological restoration. DFID/FRP Prunings 2003

After asking farmers which species they defined as “useful trees”, the research team from the Oxford Forestry Institute in collaboration with colleagues in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras gathered information on the most important species in Central America, and their role in onfarm planting, ecological restoration and natural regeneration.

They produced a preliminary draft of the source book and an accompanying CD and discussed it in a series of workshops with collaborators and other stakeholders. During these workshops the participants had an excellent opportunity to learn more about the production of efficient extension materials.

Indeed, the enthusiasm of the participants was such, that they successfully convinced the project leaders to change the project strategy. Now the funds are used to concentrate more on capacity building and training in farmer extension to ensure increased promotion and uptake, rather than on the production of more copies of the source book itself. The revised strategy is now tailored to the particular demands and the situation of each of the country and collaborators’ capacities.

For more information about this project contact:
FRP Senior Administrator
E-mail: k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk

or the Project Leader:
Dr David Boshier
E-mail: david.boshier@plantsciences.oxford.ac.uk

Getting the picture
R7367: development of biodiversity field guides. DFID/FRP Prunings 2003

We often assume that the people who live and work in the rainforest also recognise its plants, but this is far from universally true. A research team from the University of Oxford and partner organizations in Ghana, Cameroon and Grenada interviewed villagers in the three countries about their local knowledge of tree species. Surprisingly, no one – apart from specialist tree spotters employed by timber companies – was able to recognize correctly more than a third of the trees in the local patch of forest, and then it was often only in terms of very broad local names (like ‘fire-wood’) which cover many species. Yet, most of the people rely on the forest for their livelihoods!

To fill this gap, the research team is now developing easy-to-use forest field guides, in close collaboration with the people of Simpa and other villages in West Africa. During an evaluation of the wordless field guide, Simpa’s baker, a lady who did not know the forest trees but wanted to know more about her surroundings, could correctly identify 18 out of the 20 test species when using the guide!

For more information about this project contact:
FRP Senior Administrator
E-mail: k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk

or the Project Leader:
Dr William Hawthorne
E-mail: william.hawthorne@plant-sciences.oxford.ac.uk

Seeing is believing
R6549: Factors affecting nutritive value of Calliandra calothyrsus in diary fodder. DFID/ FRP Prunings 2003

Farmer exchange visits from Tanzania to Kenya have shown this interesting result: Researchers from the Oxford Forestry Institute in collaboration with colleagues from the World Agroforestry Centre and national research institutions in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda are testing ways of farmer-to-farmer extension, and study the effectiveness of various approaches.

Farmers planting Calliandra calothyrsus in boundary hedges in Kenya are more numerous than previously thought. The latest estimate is 18,500 in the Central Province around Mount Kenya alone. More information will be coming in during the next few months to further refine (and likely increase) this figure. For now, the project surveyors estimate that each of the farmers involved in the early phase of the project led to one other farmer adopting the tree species. Moreover, the project is helping substantial numbers of farmers to plant calliandra for the first time during this season. The promotion activities under FRP project R6549 are definitely further increasing these numbers substantially. The scaling up of calliandra adoption in Kenya, and increasingly in the neighbouring countries as well, looks set to be a real success story.

For more information about this project contact:
FRP Senior Administrator
E-mail: k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk

or the Project Leader:
Ms Janet Stewart
E-mail: janet.stewart@plantsciences.oxford.ac.uk

Give them a smaller fork!
R7342: Pruning to improve spatial complementarity between crops and trees. DFID/FRP Prunings 2003

A team from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Edinburgh, the World Agroforestry Centre and the Ugandan and Kenyan forestry research institutes is working with CBOs in the two countries to develop methods that could allow the farmers to benefit from both a good crop harvest, and the timber and firewood from the trees. Experiments to limit competition for water and nutrients through crown and root pruning of trees have shown promise, and farmers are enthusiastic to try out the new management.

The project facilitated an exchange visit of farmers from Uganda to Kenya where some farmers have pruned trees for years. As well as learning about pruning, the Ugandan visitors took back home new ideas for their farm management. For example, many are now growing calliandra to feed their dairy cows.

For more information about this project
contact:
FRP Senior Administrator
E-mail: k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk

or the Project Leader:
Dr Julia Wilson
E-mail: jwi@ceh.ac.uk

TRAINING MODULES ON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE VERSION 1.0

FAO Land and Water Digital Media Series 22 – CD-ROM, FAO (2002)

These training modules on Conservation Agriculture are formulated on the basis of field experiences from Africa, Asia and Latin America, which show that agriculture based on these principles can be profitable and sustainable. The benefits are reduced production costs, higher yields, fewer weed problems and thus reduced herbicide use, reduced water need higher fertilizer efficiency, less lodging, reduced fuel use, less wear or machinery, savings in time, savings in labour and higher farm profit.

The objectives of these training modules are to explain the advantages and disadvantages of Conservation Agriculture, to learn the technical principles that underlie the advantages and disadvantages, to provide technical assistance on initiation of Conservation Agriculture to farmers and to be able to answer frequently asked questions.

Copies of this CD-ROM can be ordered from:
Sales and Marketing Group FAO
Viale delle Terme di caracalla
00100 Rome
Italy

Fax: + 39-(0) 6-57053360
E-mail: publication-sales@fao.org
Website: http://www.fao.org

ANTS AS FRIENDS. IMPROVING YOUR TREE CROPS WITH WEAVER ANTS

Mele, P. van and Nguyen T.T.C. (2003)

Tree crops are increasingly being protected by agrochemicals, endangering the environment and human health. This manual provides practical tips to make optimal use of the beneficial weaver ant, based on improved insights of underlying ecological principles. The authors have combined the rich sources of scientific and farmers’ knowledge into an attractive and colourful manual. It will appeal in particular to university students, NGO workers, extension staff and all those engaged in communicating science to farmers.

ISBN 958-97218-2-6. CABI Bioscience

For more information contact:
CABI Bioscience UK Cnetre (Egham)
Bakeham Lane, Egham
Surrey TW20 9TY
United Kingdom

Phone + 44-(0) 1491-829080
Fax: + 44 (0) 1491-829100
E-mail: bioscience.egham@cabi.org
Website: http://www.cabi-bioscience.org

A TRAINING GUIDE FOR IN-SITU CONSERVATION ON-FARM - VERSION 1

Jarvis, D.I., Myer, L., Klemick, H., Guarino, L. Smale, M., Brown, A.H.D., Sadiki, M. Sthapit, B. and Hodgkin, T. (2000)

This manual is intended for national programmes interested in supporting in situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity maintained on-farm by farmers. It was written to provide a range of actors, including Ministries of Agriculture and the Environment, universities, research and extension institutions, non-government organizations (NGOs), and community based groups, with a comprehensive view of factors involved in designing and implementing a programme to support the in situ conservation of crop genetic diversity on-farm.

In situ conservation on-farm is a diverse and complex topic, and as a result any training guide can not cover every detail of the disciplines involved. Instead, this guide is geared to give national programmes basic technical skills and tools to build institutional capacity and partnerships to implement an on-farm conservation programme. It discusses the information necessary and the practical steps for the implementation of on-farm conservation, as well as the importance of such an initiative. Equipped with the baseline information from this guide, the reader should then be able to identify and access more detailed information on specialized topics.

ISBN 92-9043-452-X (CD-ROM).
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Rome, Italy

For more information contact:
IPGRI
Via delle Sette Chiese, 142
00145 Rome
Italy

TREE SEEDLINGS OF INDONESIA: 1.0. KEY TO SECONDARY FOREST SEEDLINGS OF EAST KALIMANTAN

Bodegom, S., Pelser, P.B. and Keßler, P.J.A (2003)

This CD-ROM summarizes information and identification keys for 123 taxa of secondary forest tree seedlings from Indonesia. Not all secondary forest tree species of East Kalimantan are included, but this CD-ROM will provide a unique guide to the identification of the most common ones.

ISBN 90-75000-64-2 (Macintosh and Windows). World Biodiversity Database CDROM Series. ETI, Tropenbos International, National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Universiteit Leiden branch, UNESCO

For more information contact:
Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification (ETI), University of Amsterdam
Mauritskade 61,
NL-1092 AD Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Fax: +31 920) 525 7238
E-mail: info@eti.uva.nl
Website: http://www.eti.uva.nl

REHABILITATION AND RESTORATION OF DEGRADED FORESTS

David Lamb and Don Gilmour (2003)

The publication provides a very clear overview of the key issues concerning forest loss and recovery. It looks at basic terminology related to reforestation, outlines the causes of forest loss and degradation, the biological and socio-economic implications, and demonstrates, using case studies, the technical solutions. Finally it looks at some of the key lessons derived from experience and how these can be used to shape our work on Forest Landscape Restoration. The authors draw on their considerable experience to highlight a number of case studies to illustrate this publication.

ISBN: 2-8327-0668-8. Issues in Forest Conservation series. WWF-the Conservation Organisation and IUCN-The World Conservation Union.

To receive further copies of this publication contact:
IUCN Publications Services Unit
219c Huntington Road,
Cambridge CB3 0DL,
United Kingdom

Phone: + 44-1223-277894
Fax: + 44-1223-277175
E-mail: books@iucn.org
http://www.iucn.org

ITTO GUIDELINES FOR THE RESTORATION, MANAGEMENT AND REHABILITATION OF DEGRADED AND SECONDARY TROPICAL FORESTS

International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) (2002)

These guidelines have been prepared to highlight the increasing importance of the current and potential roles of degraded and secondary forests in tropical landscapes. They provide a set of principles and recommended actions to promote and encourage the management, restoration, rehabilitation and sustainable utilization of degraded and secondary forests as a component of sustainable social and economic development. They fill a gap between two existing ITTO policy documents: the ITTO Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Natural Tropical Forests and the ITTO Guidelines for the Establishment and Sustainable Management of Planted Tropical Forests.

ISBN: 4-902045-01-X. ITTO Policy Development Series No. 13

For more information contact:
ITTO
International Organizations Center 5th floor,
Pacifico-Yokohama
1-1-1, Minato-Mirai, Nishi-ku
Yokohama, 220-0012
Japan

Phone: + 81-(0) 45-2231110
Fax: + 81-(0) 45-2331111
E-mail: itto@itto.or.jp
Website: http://www.itto.or.jp

ADVANCING ASSISTED NATURAL REGENERATION (ANR) IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Dugan, P.C., Durst, P.B, Ganz, D.J and Mc Kenzie P.J. (2003)

FAO and partner organisations convened a workshop and study on assisted natural regeneration (ANR) in the Philippines in April 2002 to highlight the potential and opportunities of ANR as a restoration strategy. The workshop discussion and presentations underscored the importance of ANR in the broader context of sustainable forest management and the potential for cost-effective rehabilitation of forestlands through more aggressive implementation of ANR. This publication includes selected papers dealing with the technical, environmental and social dimensions of ANR, as well as papers describing country initiatives.

ISBN 974-7946-49-1
RAP Publication 2003/19. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

For copies of the report, write to:
Patrick B. Durst
Senior Forestry Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok 10200

Thailand Phone: 0066-2-697-4000
Fax: 0066-2-697-4445
E-mail: Patrick.Durst@fao.org

BRINGING BACK THE FORESTS. POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR DEGRADED LANDS AND FORESTS

Sim, H.C., Appanah, S. and Durst, P.B. (2003)

Land and forest degradation has become so devastating in the Asia-Pacific region that it is now causing severe environmental and economic problems, and is beginning to threaten the livelihoods of millions of people. The need to rehabilitate these lands and forests is growing. Rehabilitation in the past was largely limited to monocultures and enrichment planting. Most such efforts met with failure or were not cost-effective. But the science of rehabilitation has advanced significantly – now forest rehabilitation procedures seek to go far beyond commercial timber production. New rehabilitation techniques are being developed to increase biodiversity and ecological services, and initiatives are purposefully linked with social development programmes. This publication includes papers presented at an international conference held 7-10 October 2002 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, giving a comprehensive overview of the various initiatives and experiences gained in Bringing Back the Forests.

ISBN: 974-7946-43-2. Proceedings of an International Conference. 7-10 October 2002, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, RAP publication 2003/14. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

For copies of the report, write to:
Patrick B. Durst
Senior Forestry Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok 10200
Thailand

Phone: 0066-2-697-4000
Fax: 0066-2-697-4445
E-mail: Patrick.Durst@fao.org

EUR 20523 EN. DETERMINATION OF THE WORLD’S HUMID TROPICAL DEFORESTATION RATES DURING THE 1990’S. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF THE TREES-II RESEARCH PROGRAMME

Achard, F., Eva, H.D., Stibig H-J., Mayaux Ph., Gallego, J., Richards, T. and Malingreau, J-P. (2002)

The second phase of a research programme (TREES-II) exploiting the global imaging capabilities of Earth observing satellites has just been completed to provide the latest information on the status of humid tropical forests. This report presents the research programme results. These new figures are the most consistent currently available. At the global level, these figures indicate a 23% lower net forest cover change rate for the tropical humid forest than was generally accepted until now. This has major repercussions on the calculation of carbon fluxes in the global budget resulting in a terrestrial sink smaller than previously inferred.

Environment and quality of life series. ISBN 92-894-4724-9. TREES Series B, Research Report No. 5. European Commission. Directorate General Joint Research Centre. Institute for Environment and Sustainability. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

For more information on European Communities publications contact:
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
2 rue Mercier
L2985 Luxembourg
Luxembourg

Phone : +352-29-29-1
Fax : +352-29-29-44619
E-mail: info-info-opoce@cec.eu.int
http://publications.eu.int/

FOREST COVER MAP OF CONTINENTAL SOUTHEAST ASIA

A new regional forest cover map of continental Southeast Asia has been published by the Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit (IES/GVM) of the European Joint Research Centre at Ispra, Italy.

The map has been produced from SPOT4- VEGETATION satellite images of the years 1998-2000 at a spatial resolution of 1km2. At a scale of 1:4 million the map displays the broad distribution of tropical forest cover in the region, differentiating between evergreen and deciduous forest cover and providing some additional information on the distribution of mountain, lowland, swamp and mangrove forests.

The forest cover map of continental Southeast Asia has been designed for regional overview, covering the Northeast of India and the countries of Bangladesh, Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In such context the map may serve as a reference on forest cover or as a base for subsequent sampling, selected detailed forest mapping or for vegetation modelling. The map does not target localscale forest mapping or forest management applications.

A paper copy of the map includingexplanatory notes can be obtained from the JRC.

The digital data set is available from:
http://www-gvm.jrc.it/Forest/asia/carto_sea2000.htm

The forest cover map has also served as input to the GLC2000 global land cover database over continental Southeast Asia:
http://www-gvm.jrc.it/glc2000/ProductGLC2000.htm

Contact:
Hans-Jürgen Stibig,
Joint Research Centre
IES-GVM, TP440
I-21020 Ispra (Va)
Italy

E-mail: hans-juergen.stibig@jrc.it

STATE OF FORESTRY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC – 2003. STATUS, CHANGES AND TRENDS

Brown, Ch. and Durst, P.B. (2003)

The Asia-Pacific region is characterized by diversity and rapid change. These attributes are reflected in the forestry sector, where rapid evolution of social, economic and environmental issues means policies, legislation, institutions and the broad forestry community are being challenged to cope with constantly shifting goals and expectations.

The State of forestry in Asia and the Pacific – 2003 provides a broad status report and overview of developments in forestry in the region during the past several years. It has been prepared to inform and update policy makers, forestry officials and others interestd in recent developments in the region’s forestry sector.

ISBN 974-7946-50-5. RAP Publication 2003/22, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific/Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

For copies of the report, write to:
Patrick B. Durst
Senior Forestry Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok 10200
Thailand

Phone: 0066-2-697-4000
Fax: 0066-2-697-4445
E-mail: Patrick.Durst@fao.org

NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS IN 15 COUNTRIES OF TROPICAL ASIA–AN OVERVIEW

Vantomme, P., Markkula, A. and Leslie, R.N. (2002)

This regional study presents an overview of the socio-economic importance of the use of non-wood forest products (NWFP) in 15 countries of Tropical Asia. The document consists of 2 main parts: (1) presentation of background information of the programme activities and methodology and an analysis of the available information at the regional level; and (2) presentation of data on NWFP at the national level (so-called “country profiles”).

FAO, ISBN 974-90666-0-X

For copies of the report, write to:
Patrick B. Durst
Senior Forestry Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok 10200
Thailand

Phone: 0066-2-697-4000
Fax: 0066-2-697-4445
E-mail: Patrick.Durst@fao.org

PLANT RESOURCES OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA 17 – FIBRE PLANTS

M. Brink and R.P. Escobin (2003), PROSEA

Plant Resources of South-East Asia is a multivolume handbook that aims to summarise knowledge about useful plants for workers in education, research, extension and industry. Volume 17 deals with the plants in South-East Asia that are cultivated or collected from the wild as fibre plants. A broad definition of fibre plants has been applied, and they are considered to comprise: plants used for textiles, cordage and paper (including those used for toothbrushes, sponges and cork); plants used for making baskets, mats and wickerwork (including brooms); and plants used for packing and thatching (including leaves used as platters, for garments and as sandpaper). This diverse group includes species producing the well-known plant fibres of international trade such as cotton, jute and flax, of which the use dates back to early civilisations. The group also includes many lesser-known fibre plants, which are of regional or local importance only. This volume covers 72 major species, including abaca, cantala, cotton, flax, jute, kapok, kenaf, ramie, roselle and sisal, treated in 45 papers. There are also 126 brief treatments of 129 species of minor importance. A further 600 species, not primarily but secondarily used as fibre plants, are listed.

For further information contact:
Prosea Publication Office
Wageningen University
POBox 341
6700 AH Wageningen
The Netherlands.

Phone: + 31-317-484587
Fax: + 31-317-482206
E-mail: prosea@wur.nl
Website: http://www.proseanet.org, or http://www.prosea.nl.

NEW CIFOR NTFP PUBLICATIONS

Increased emphasis on poverty alleviation in national and international development agendas has revitalised interest in how non-timber forest products (NTFPs) can be commercialised to increase human welfare in an environmentally sound way. Yet, despite more than a decade of research and targeted development projects, systematic understanding of the role and potential of NTFPs in conservation and development remains weak. To help fill this gap, a large group of researchers combined efforts and used a common methodological approach to examine and compare more than 60 case studies of commercial NTFP production, processing and trade from Asia, Africa and Latin America. To share the wealth of information generated by this project, CIFOR has produced a set of publications aimed at different target audiences.

“Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation” - targeting researchers and development practitioners
CIFOR has recently published three volumes containing full descriptions of the case studies. Each chapter in the volumes describes the production through consumption system of a particular forest product, ending with a section on conservation and development lessons drawn from that case. The authors provide a richly detailed analysis of the issues, idiosyncrasies and opportunities found in each case study. Collectively the case studies offer an invaluable resource for researchers, development practitioners and conservation workers. Volumes one and two cover Asia and Africa respectively, and are written in English. Volume three, Latin America is written in Spanish and Portuguese. The African volume will be translated into French at a later date.

“Riches of the Forest” - targeting consumers and civil society
Researchers involved in the project also wanted to reach an audience beyond the scientific and development communities. To achieve this, three supplementary volumes covering Africa, Asia and Latin America have been written in “user-friendly” English and targeted at civil society and NTFP consumers. The use of accessible language combined with informative illustrations aims to improve public awareness of the commercial and cultural benefits obtained from forests. The books will also alert consumers to the origins of forest-products available in markets. Each of these publications will soon be available in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Indonesian.

For further information, contact: Titin Suhartini (t.suhartini@cgiar.org).
Please indicate your mailing address, the institution you are affiliated to (if applicable) and which of the publications you are interested in.

For more information contact:
Center for International Forestry Research
Mailing address: PO Box 6596, JKPWB,
Jakarta 10065, Indonesia

Phone: + 62-251-622622
Fax: + 62-251-622100
E-mail: cifor@cgiar.org
Website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org

PUBLICATIONS OF THE KERALA FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) is one of the institutions of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) of the Government of Kerala established in 1975. By conducting time-bound multidisciplinary applied research in thrust areas of tropical forestry, KFRI has created a niche among the leading forest organizations. The Institute undertakes multidisciplinary research on all aspects of tropical forestry including wood science and technology, wildlife biology and socioeconomics under nine Programme Divisions. Some of the latest publications are:

Annotated Bibliography on Bamboos of the World.
Sarojam, N. (2003) ISBN: 81-85041- 50-4 An KFRI Handbook No. 20. KFRI, Peechi; Ministry of Textiles and UNDP, New Delhi. Price: 50 US dollars

This annotated bibliography on bamboos of the worldcovers a total of 2800 references. References are arranged under broad of subject categories. Author and subject indexes are provided.

An Annotated Bibliography on Rattans of the World.
George, K.F and Sankara Pillai, K. (2003) ISBN: 81-85041-49-0 KFRI Handbook No. 19. Price: 35 US dollars

This book includes a total of 876 literature citations with abstracts covering the world literature on rattans (canes). In this bibliography, references of 600 species coming under 13 genera have been included. References are arranged under major subject headings alphabetically by author’s name. To locate specific information, an author index and a subject index have been also provided.

Biodiversity documentation for Kerala. Part 5: Pteridrophytes.
Easa, P.S. (2003) ISBN 81 85041-46-6 KFRI Price: 20 US dollars

Pteridrophytic plants are the ferns and fern allies. In this publication, 337 pteridrophytes have been documented with their distribution in Kerala, global distribution, habit, habitat and status.

Manual of the Non-Wood Forest Produce Plants of Kerala.
Nair, K.K.N. (2000) ISBN 81-85041-22-9 KFRI

The book deals with 165 NWFP plan species, naturally distributed in Kerala State, India. For each species, up-to-date nomenclature, local names, botanical description, distribution in Kerala State and the world, products and uses, production and marketing and regeneration aspects are dealt with in detail, supplemented with species-wise references pertaining to those aspects. Distribution maps are also provided for all the 165 taxa, authenticated by herbarium specimens available in various Indian and foreign herbaria, apart from photographs of almost all the species. In the introductory part, natural habitats of NWFP plants in the State, details on exploitation, utilization and socio-economic significance, demand and supply and management and research needs of the plant group are highlighted.

Address all orders and enquiries to:
The Librarian
Kerala Forest Research Institute
Peechi, Thrissur 680 653
India

Phone: + 91-487-2699037
Fax: + 91-487-2699249
E-mail: kspillai@kfri.org
Website: http://www.kfri.org/

GLOBAL AND REGIONAL VEGETATION FIRE MONITORING FROM SPACE: PLANNING A COORDINATED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT

Ahern, F.J., Golddammer, J.G. and Justice, Ch.O. (editors) (2001)

The Global Observation of Forest Cover (GOFC) programme is currently part of the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS). GOFC was designed to bring together data providers and information users to make information products from satellite and in-situ observations of forests more readily available worldwide. Fire Monitoring and Mapping was formed as one of the three basic components of GOFC. This book contains thirteen contributions authored by scientists who represent the most active international research and development institutions, aiming at coordinating and improving international efforts for user-oriented systems and products. These papers were initially presented at a GOFC Fire Workshop held at the Joint Research Centre, Ispra. The volume is a contribution by the GOFC Forest Monitoring and Mapping Implementation Team to the Interagency Task Force Working Group on Wildland Fire of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).

ISBN 90-5103-140-8. GOFC/ISDR

Copies can be ordered from:
SPB Academic Publishing BV
PO Box 97747
2509 GC The Hague
The Netherlands

Phone: + 31-(0) 70-3300253
Fax: + 31-(0) 70-3300254
E-mail: kluger.spb@wxs.nl
Website: http://www.klugerpublications.com/spb

FIRES IN INDONESIA: CAUSES, COSTS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Tacconi, L. (2003)

This report is the result of a study that was conducted for the project “The Underlying Causes and Impacts of Fires in Indonesia”. It starts by consolidating information on the extent and location of fires. Then it focuses on the definition of the policy problems. Some of the major apparent causes of the problems are highlighted by pointing out the land use activities contributing to the fires. The report also presents a review and analysis of the economic impacts of fires.

ISSN 0854-9818. CIFOR Occasional Paper No. 38. CIFOR

Download the report at: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/publications/papers

For more information contact:
Center for International Forestry Research
Mailing address: PO Box 6596, JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia

Phone: + 62-251-622622
Fax: + 62-251-622100
E-mail: cifor@cgiar.org
Website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org

HOW TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FORESTS? SUPPLY AND USE OF INFORMATION FOR FOREST POLICY

Janz, K. and Persson, R. (2002)

There are serious shortcomings in the supply and use of information needed for policy making in the forestry sectors of developing countries (and often also in developed countries). The main weakness is the failure to connect supply to demand. Much information has been gathered not because it was needed but because donors were willing to fund inventories, on traditional lines, that were vaguely thought to be potentially useful. Information is usually inadequate on topics such as actual removals of wood and other products, or the usefulness of the forests, especially to the local people. Not enough provision is made for continuous inventories to the necessarily high standards that are needed to measure change. The way in which remote sensing has been used has often been heavily influenced by the facilities that are on offer, rather than the potential usefulness of the results. It is suggested, for example, that the resources would be better used on the assessment of changes in land use and forest cover than on elaborate cartography. A key proposal is to set up national ‘Analysis Units’ that will collate and interpret available information, help users to define their needs, and make the link with suppliers, so that information gathering can be more driven by demand. Information at international level depends on what is available nationally, and therefore improvement should be sought mainly at national level.

ISSN 0854 9818. Occasional Paper, No 36. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

For more information contact:
Center for International Forestry Research
Mailing address: PO Box 6596, JKPWB,
Jakarta 10065, Indonesia

Phone: + 62-251-622622
Fax: + 62-251-622100
E-mail: cifor@cgiar.org
Website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org

FEASIBILITY OF A MONITORING PROGRAMME FOR THE GUIANA SHIELD INITIATIVE

Schut, V.T. (2004)

Number 4 in the Guiana Shield Initiative publication series, this report suggests possibilities for remote sensing monitoring of the Guiana Shield eco-region. It is based on the GSI monitoring workshop which took place in May 2003, in Belém, Brazil. At this workshop, monitoring experts from each of the Guiana Shield countries were invited to a presentation on the Brazilian radar system SUVAM (Sistema de Vigilância da Amazônia) and to discuss collaboration between the Guiana Shield countries on this subject. The results of the workshop were encouraging and saw the further development of a landscape monitoring network called Forest and Remote Sensing Exchange Network (FORESEEN), an initiative of Valéry Gond based at CIRAD, French Guiana.

ISBN: 90-75909-13-6 Guiana Shield Initiative Series 4

For more information contact:
Netherlands Committee for IUCN
Plantage Middenlaan 2K
Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Websites: http://www.iucn.nl and http://www.guianashield.org

SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM IN THE GUIANA SHIELD REGION. A WORKING DOCUMENT FOR THE GUIANA SHIELD INITIATIVE

Olsder Kike (2004)

Number 5 in the Guiana Shield Initiative publication series, this working document discusses the possibilities for development of sustainable ecotourism in the Guiana Shield and gives a brief overview of current tourism activities in the region, as well as case studies relating to tourism developments for each of the Guiana Shield countries. This report is not the final dissertation on the status of ecotourism in the Guiana Shield, as ecotourism initiatives continue to start, develop and, in some cases, end. However, it is important to learn from those initiatives and to apply general theories relating to sustainable tourism development.

ISBN: 90-75909-12-8, Guiana Shield Initiative Series 5

For more information contact:
Netherlands Committee for IUCN
Plantage Middenlaan 2K
Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Websites: http://www.iucn.nl and http://www.guianashield.org

CONSERVATION PRIORITIES FOR THE GUAYANA SHIELD: 2002 CONSENSUS

Huber, O. and Foster, M.N. (eds.) (2003).
Conservation International

This publication presents a comprehensive set of conservation priorities for the Guayana Shield. These priorities take into account both the biological and socioeconomic conditions of the Guayana Shield and are the first to encompass the entire region. They are the result of a process that began in early 2001 and culminated with an April 2002 workshop held in Paramaribo, Suriname, where over 100 experts on the biology and socioeconomics of the Guayana Shield came together for five days of intense collaboration.

For more information contact:
Conservation International
Center for Applied Biodiversity Science
1919 M Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
USA

Phone: + 1-202-912-1000
Fax: + 1-202-912-1030
http://www.conservation.org

BRIDGING THE GAP: COMMUNITIES, FORESTS AND INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS

Colchester, M., Apte, T., Laforge, M., Mandondo, A. and Pathak, N. (2003)

Community forestry has transformed over the past 25 years from being an experimental means of providing wood-fuel for the rural poor to a community-led movement demanding reform of the forestry sector. International networks to promote community forestry, which emerged at very different moments in history with different visions, goals, targets and participants, have played a key role in this transformation. Based on a review of seven countries and ten networks, the study compiles the main lessons learned from this experience in terms of advocacy, effectiveness, communication techniques, network governance, relations with donors and linkage to social movements. The increasing mobilization of community based organizations means that supportive NGOs and government agencies now need to play a different role to the one they gave themselves 25 years ago.

ISSN 0854-9818. Synthesis report of the project ‘learning lessons from international community forest networks’, CIFOR Occasional Paper No. 41

For more information contact:
Center for International Forestry Research
Mailing address: PO Box 6596, JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia

Phone: + 62-251-622622
Fax: + 62-251-622100
E-mail: cifor@cgiar.org
Website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org

POLICY RESEARCH AND AFRICAN AGRICULTURE: TIME FOR A DOSE OF REALITY?

Steven Were Omano and John Farrington (2004)

This paper argues that, for the rural poor in Africa, market failure is more the norm than the exception. Despite the growing attention given to market imperfections of the kind highlighted by New Institutional Economics, much policy advice on the agricultural economy in African countries remain based on unrealistic analysis and assumptions. Making policy advice more relevant requires a better understanding not only of how markets (mal) function but also of implementation issues – what constraints implementability, how constraints can be overcome or bypassed, and what policy measures have greater or lesser prospects of implementation.

ISSN: 1356-9228 - Natural Resource Perspectives number 90, January 2004. Overseas Development Institute 2003 For papers in this series see: http://www.odi.org.uk/nrp/

SOCIAL PROTECTION AND PRO-POOR AGRICULTURAL GROWTH: WHAT SCOPE FOR SYNERGIES?

John Farrington, Rachel Slater and Rebecca Holmes (2004)

Social protection (SP) and livelihood promotion have conventionally been handled by different departments within government and donor organizations. Taking the example of agriculture, this paper argues that the scope for synergy between them (when narrowly defined as ‘making the whole bigger than the sum of its parts’) is limited. However, there is substantial unexploited scope for introducing the perspectives of the one into the design and implementation of the other, i.e., for giving aspects of SP more of a growth-promoting dimension, and for designing agriculture initiatives in ways aiming to reduce risk and vulnerability.

ISSN: 1356-9228 - Natural Resource Perspectives number 91, January 2004. Overseas Development Institute 2003

For papers in this series see: http://www.odi.org.uk/nrp/

‘VOUS ETES GRANDS NOUS SOMMES PETITS .’ THE IMPLICATIONS OF BULU HISTORY, CULTURE AND ECONOMY FOR AN INTEGRATED CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (ICDP) IN THE DJA RESERVE, CAMEROON.

Hilary Solly (2004)

The principal objective of this thesis is to demonstrate how a ‘close reading’ (Geertz 1973), that is to say a detailed examination of the history, culture and economy of an ethnic group, could help an ICDP (Integrated Conservation and Development Project) in the achievement of its conservation, development and participatory management objectives. In this case, the study is focused on the Bulu, one of the ethnic groups living in the Dja Reserve, South Cameroon. The ICDP concerned is ECOFAC Cameroon, a project financed by the European Commission and involved in the management of the Reserve in collaboration with the Cameroon Ministry of Environment and Forests (MINEF).

The findings of the research reveal significant incomprehension and conflict between the project and the local Bulu people. This can partially be explained by the project’s own weaknesses and failings. However, Bulu history and culture also play a critical role and have serious implications for their perceptions of and behaviour towards the project and its activities.

The thesis suggests how an awareness of forest and forest resource perceptions could be used by ECOFAC to improve the management of both its zoning and hunting control activities. It also offers suggestions of how an understanding of Bulu perceptions of development could be used to create more suitable development activities. Furthermore, it offers advice on how the local people could be encouraged to participate more fully in both the conservation and development activities undertaken in the Reserve.

The research and writing of this thesis was undertaken as part of APFT (Avenir des Peuples des Forêts Tropicales), a project funded by DG Development of the European Commission.

Contact:
Hillary Solly
E-mail: hilsolly@s-schneiderbauer.de

TROPENBOS INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

Tropenbos International (TBI) is committed to provide and generate knowledge, insight and techniques that make a difference for the policy and management of tropical rain forests. Therefore, TBI has developed an array of publications, arranged in different series. Many of these publications are available online, others are easily ordered through http://www.tropenbos.org

Recent TBI publications include:

Lianas and logging in West Africa. Parren, M.P.E. (2003). ISBN: 90-5113-066-X. Tropenbos Cameroon Series 6. For more information visit: http://www.tropenbos.org/news/news_camser6.htm

Loggers consider lianas a nuisance. The woody climbers cause trees to pull down their neighbours when they are felled, hinder the growth of their host and spread like weeds. Cutting lianas prior to felling is therefore the norm in sustainable logging operations. With the support of Tropenbos International, Marc Parren investigated how effective this treatment is in West Africa.

Plant diversity in a Central African rain forest: implications for biodiversity conservation in Cameroon. Tchouto, M.G.P. (2004). ISBN: 90-5113-068-6 Tropenbos Cameroon Series 7. For more information visit: http://www.tropenbos.org/news/news_camser7.htm

Rich in diversity and home to numerous endemic species, the Campo Ma’an forest in Southwest Cameroon has immense conservation value. Even so, there is growing pressure on the forest from loggers, agro-industrials, poachers and hunters. Gidas Peguy Tchouto Mbatchou identified the biodiversity hotspots and has issued an urgent call for more effective protection.

Slash and burn agriculture in the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. Soil quality dynamics, improved fallow management and farmers’ perception. Kanmegne, J. (2004). ISBN 90-5113-070- 8. Tropenbos-Cameroon Series 8. For more information visit: http://www.tropenbos.org/news/news_camser8.htm

Slash-and-burn agriculture is a major cause of tropical deforestation. Soil quality rapidly decreases after burning and forces farmers to start the cycle anew. With the full participation of farmers in South Cameroon, Jacques Kanmegne developed an innovative approach that seems to be a breakthrough. Planting Inga edulis trees in fallows could become a leading strategy to fight land degradation and deforestation.

Sustainable management of rainforest in Cameroon. Jonkers, W.B.J. and Foahom, B. (2004). ISBN: 90-5113-071-6. Tropenbos Cameroon Series 9. For more information visit: http://www.tropenbos.org/publications/FactSheets/04Cameroonstuur.pdf

Eleven years of research and training have generated an approach to sustainable forest management adapted to the ecological and social reality of South Cameroon. Wyb Jonkers and Bernard Foahom recently synthesised the results of 14 interrelated projects and now recommend applying the Tropenbos approach to permanent production forests. It includes a CD-ROM with all Tropenbos- Cameroon publications electronically available.

TBI-Ghana publications
The results of the discussion on ‘natural resource management in Ghana: challenges to professionalism’, jointly organised by TBI-Ghana and the Ghana Institute of Professional Foresters (GIPF) have been published as TBI Ghana Workshop Proceedings 1.

A second report presents the results of a Focus Group Discussion titled ‘Chainsaw limber production: a necessary evil?, organised by TBI-Ghana in which 100 people took part and presented the views of different stakeholders on the chainsaw lumber issue.

An NGO Brochure ‘optimising operations of NGOs in the environment and forestry sectors in Ghana is the result of an initiative by WAPCA, FONZ and TBI-Ghana. 54 institutes in the forest and environment sector have been described. The publications were made possible by DFID through the Ghana Forestry Commission. Copies of all reports can be obtained from TBI-Ghana, tropenbos@idngh.com

Plant diversity scaled by growth forms along spatial and environmental gradients. A study in the rain forests of NW Amazonia. Duque Montoya, A. J. (2004). ISBN 90-5113- 072-4 Tropenbos PhD Thesis Series 1. For more information visit: http://www.tropenbos.org/news/news_phdser1.htm

Excessive deforestation and the threatening loss of exceptionally high plant diversity in Amazonia require effective conservation planning. But it would be wrong to base the selection of protected areas on the distribution of one tree species alone, says ecologist Alvaro Duque.

Los Micos de Colombia (Monkeys of Colombia). Bennett, S.E. (2003). ISBN: 958- 8151-21-X. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt y Fundación Tropenbos

This book presents the results of long term research and study of Colombian primates by Sara Benett. It gives an overview of the different monkey species of Colombia (23), from the smallest to the biggest species. Also the ecological functioning, the geography, and conservation matters are dealt with. The book is written (in Spanish) in a way that is easy to read, also for nonresearchers, and nicely illustrated.

To order this book, send an e-mail to Liliana Rodríguez, publicaciones@humboldt.org.co

Congress on globalisation
The final report on the congress on ‘Globalisation, localisation and tropical forest management in the 21st century’(October 2003) co-organised by TBI is now available. The report can be downloaded from: http://www.tropenbos.org/files/Final%20Congress%20Report.pdf

For book orders and other inquiries, contact:
Tropenbos International
PO Box 232
6700 AE Wageningen
The Netherlands
Phone: + 31-317-495500
Fax: + 31-317-495520
E-mail: Tropenbos@tropenbos.org
Website: http://www.tropenbos.org

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