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Safety Nets, Gap Filling and Forests: A Global-Comparative Perspective

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: In the forest–livelihoods literature, forests are widely perceived to provide both common safety nets to shocks and resources for seasonal gap-filling. We use a large global-comparative dataset to test these responses. We find households rank forest-extraction responses to shocks lower than most common alternatives. For seasonal gap-filling, forest extraction also has limited importance. The minority of households using forests for coping is asset-poor and lives in villages specialized on forests, in particular timber extraction. Overall, forest resources may be less important as a buffer between agricultural harvests and in times of unforeseen hardship than has been found in many case studies.

Source: World Development

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.03.005

Authors: Sven Wunder, Jan Börner, Gerald Shively, Miriam Wyman

Institutions: Center for International Forestry Research, University of Bonn, Purdue University West Lafayette, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Auburn University

Language: English

Topic: Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: No poverty, Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,895