Key factors in the enabling environment for smallholder tree growing : experiences from the Global South
Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Smallholder tree growing is drawing increasing attention as population and economic growth models anticipate increasing wood demand that current natural forest or industrial forest plantations will not be able to supply without endangering sustainable development goals. Furthermore, ‘greening of economies’ calls for substitution of non-renewable materials with renewables, such as cellulose-based products. This has led to increasing attention to smallholder tree growing and it’s potential to contribute to the growing need for wood and ecosystem services from forests. Research on the motivations and drivers of smallholder tree growers and the role of smallholder tree growers in forest transition processes is available for some individual countries, and some qualitative analysis comparing countries on their enabling environments for smallholder tree growing has been done over the years. However, a systematic analysis with a global perspective is lacking. This study contributes to understanding the role and combinations of contextual and sectoral factors in establishing an enabling environment for smallholder commercial tree growing in South-East Asia and Africa, and analyses the role and importance of incentives for smallholder tree growing. The dissertation consists of three articles (papers I, II, and III). Papers I and II are in-depth case studies from Tanzania and Lao PDR, and Paper III combines the case-studies with three additional country cases for a Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Field research for the first and second paper collected data on household socioeconomic background and past, present, and future tree growing interests and practices through semi-structured interviews. Four villages in Njombe region in Tanzania, and four villages in central and northern Lao PDR were included in the study. In Tanzania, detailed information on smallholder plantation condition was collected through plantation inventories. The data collected was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. For the third paper a theoretical framework was developed based on eight main factors in the enabling environment for smallholder tree growing identified in previous research. Country case-study information on these factors was collected through case studies on Tanzania and Laos, and desk studies on Indonesia, Uganda and Vietnam. Country case studies were then analysed using Qualitative Comparative Analysis applying a two-step approach and crisp set methodology. The analysis was run with Tosmana (Cronqvist, 2017) and verification of the results utilised Kirq (Reichert and Rubinson, 2014) and QCA 3.0 software (Dusa, 2019). Findings indicate that Tanzanian smallholder tree growers have strong interest to increase their tree growing area despite the weak enabling environment. In Lao PDR the smallholder teak growing area is not likely to expand as smallholders consider other land uses more attractive and the existing incentive framework fails to induce smallholder tree growing. Based on the Qualitative Comparative Analysis, secure land and forest tenure, and strong demand for timber may be sufficient to boost smallholder tree growing. However, functioning wood markets, knowledge, and direct incentives are present in the configurations in the majority of the cases, which especially seem to contribute in scaling up tree growing volumes and in building an enduring smallholder tree growing sector that is capable to maintain the tree growing activity and supply the wood markets. The role of incentives in smallholder tree growing varies in the case-study countries, but under strong market demand they may not even be necessary for plantation expansion if land tenure is clear. However, to be effective, incentives should be tailored to meet smallholder needs in a country-specific context, and adjusted according to the changing environment. Secure land tenure and wood demand are essential elements in the enabling environment for smallholder tree growing. Even though they are not necessary for the initiation of smallholder tree growing, incentives play a crucial role in establishing technical knowledge and skills among smallholders to improve the quality of the wood they produce, which over the years has remained a challenge. However, incentives are only effective if they are designed from the beginning considering the smallholder capacities, actual needs, and their other livelihood options. The findings confirm and highlight the importance of secure land and forest tenure recognized in multitudinous studies. Smallholder tree growers struggle to achieve the quality that higher value wood markets require, and their produce is sold mainly in lower value local or regional markets. This may still be a profitable business model and a way to diversify livelihoods from the smallholder perspective, but on the other hand it does not allow smallholder tree growers to reach their full production potential and profits, nor does it support the development of the wood industry. The findings also suggest that models and incentives improving smallholder access to land are an effective incentive for smallholder tree growing when the land use is defined as a condition for the allocation. If global and national policies seek increasing smallholder contributions in tree growing for wood production and climate change mitigation, the first priority is to provide them access to land and secure land and tree tenure. Smallholder tree growing schemes should either recognize and accept the capacity and financial limitations smallholders have, or support schemes should be tailored to their specific needs and to the varying socioeconomic contexts.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Anne Arvola
Language: English
Topic: Forest Management and Policy
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3094616616