Authors

:

Brian Belcher and Manuel Ruiz-Pérez

Abstract

:

With increased attention to and investment in forest products (especially "NTFPs"), there is a real need for more systematic understanding of the true role and potential of forest products to achieve development and conservation objectives. Information is required to improve the effectiveness of investment and policy interventions. There is a rich base of information from many case studies and development projects that have been done on various aspects of forest product development. But, this information has been assembled in an ad-hoc fashion, using a range of methods, at different scales, and focusing on different elements of the forest product production, processing and marketing systems. Work is needed to document and compare cases using consistent terms and definitions for an appropriate range of variables. This paper describes a method to do this. It involves collating information from many cases that have already been studied. The goal is to create typologies of cases, identify conditions associated with particular kinds of development and conservation outcomes, and identify and test hypotheses about forest product development. This paper provides guidelines for research collaborators. It describes the categories of information and provides definitions and rationales for the various descriptors used.

Keywords

:

Non-Timber Forest Products, Comparative Analysis, Methodology, Case Studies, Typology, Commercialisation, Conservation, Development

Book Source

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CIFOR Working Paper No. 23, Bogor, Indonesia.

Date

:

2001

Language

:

English