The significance of the safety-net role of NTFPs in rural livelihoods, South Africa
- Authors: Paumgarten, Fiona
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007161 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Description: This study was conducted in two rural villages in South Africa with the purpose of investigating the safety-net role of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The use of NTFPs as a safety-net is reported as a common feature of rural livelihoods however empirical data supporting this function is limited. Therefore, policy makers and land-use planners underappreciate the probable role and consequent value of the safety-net function. The findings show that poor, rural households are vulnerable to a range of risks. Over a two year period 100% of households reported experiencing crises including unexpected idiosyncratic risks (e.g. illness, retrenchment, crop failure and death) as well as expected expenses and periods of vulnerability (e.g. the payment of school fees and seasonal crop shortfalls). Households are prone to these risks irrespective of wealth or gender of the de jure household head. To secure their livelihoods households in both villages rely on a variety of livelihood strategies including waged labour (53%), self-employment (30%), government grants (60%), arable agriculture (56%), animal husbandry (64%) and the use (100%) and sale (22%) of NTFPs. In terms of the proportion of households involved, the findings suggest land-based strategies make an important contribution. Formal employment and old-age pensions distinguish wealthy households from poor and allow for investments in assets and saving schemes (62%). In response to the risks experienced households employed a variety of coping strategies. Generally the most commonly used strategies were kinship (85%), reduced household spending (72%), changes to food consumption and saving (72%) and relying on NTFPs (70%). Kinship and NTFPs show no differences for wealth or gender of the de jure household head. The remaining strategies are influenced by wealth. The use of NTFPs as a safety-net manifested predominantly through the increased use of products, then the substitution of commercial goods by NTFPs and lastly through the sale. Of those using NTFPs as a rural safety-net 41.4% used of wild foods, 40% used medicinal plants, 25.7% substituted paraffin with fuelwood, 10% sold fuelwood and 8.6% sold other products.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Paumgarten, Fiona
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007161 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Description: This study was conducted in two rural villages in South Africa with the purpose of investigating the safety-net role of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The use of NTFPs as a safety-net is reported as a common feature of rural livelihoods however empirical data supporting this function is limited. Therefore, policy makers and land-use planners underappreciate the probable role and consequent value of the safety-net function. The findings show that poor, rural households are vulnerable to a range of risks. Over a two year period 100% of households reported experiencing crises including unexpected idiosyncratic risks (e.g. illness, retrenchment, crop failure and death) as well as expected expenses and periods of vulnerability (e.g. the payment of school fees and seasonal crop shortfalls). Households are prone to these risks irrespective of wealth or gender of the de jure household head. To secure their livelihoods households in both villages rely on a variety of livelihood strategies including waged labour (53%), self-employment (30%), government grants (60%), arable agriculture (56%), animal husbandry (64%) and the use (100%) and sale (22%) of NTFPs. In terms of the proportion of households involved, the findings suggest land-based strategies make an important contribution. Formal employment and old-age pensions distinguish wealthy households from poor and allow for investments in assets and saving schemes (62%). In response to the risks experienced households employed a variety of coping strategies. Generally the most commonly used strategies were kinship (85%), reduced household spending (72%), changes to food consumption and saving (72%) and relying on NTFPs (70%). Kinship and NTFPs show no differences for wealth or gender of the de jure household head. The remaining strategies are influenced by wealth. The use of NTFPs as a safety-net manifested predominantly through the increased use of products, then the substitution of commercial goods by NTFPs and lastly through the sale. Of those using NTFPs as a rural safety-net 41.4% used of wild foods, 40% used medicinal plants, 25.7% substituted paraffin with fuelwood, 10% sold fuelwood and 8.6% sold other products.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Natural resource harvesting and disturbance in communal lands: assessing the roles of local ecological knowledge, dependency and market access
- Authors: Steele, Melita Zoë
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4736 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004604 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Description: A great deal of research has demonstrated that Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) play a crucial role in the livelihoods of the rural poor, and are particularly important to the most marginalised people throughout the developing world. However, these livelihood benefits are not without cost to the natural resource base that rural communities depend so heavily upon. The continued dependence on NTFPs as a major livelihood source must be contingent upon the minimisation of the level of disturbance created through this dependency. This study assesses the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting in eight study sites around South Africa, and applies a predictive conceptual model created by Shankaar et al. (2004b) to try and ascertain under what conditions the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting will be high. It assesses the three key factors that Shankaar et al. (2004b) identified (level of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), level of dependency and access to markets) in relation to the level of disturbance found at each of the study sites. It was found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the level of dependency and the level of disturbance, but there was no statistically significant relationship between either access to markets or the level of LEK and disturbance. Regulation of land use is a key issue, with weak local institutions in communal areas making effective resource management difficult. The significance of these findings is discussed, and priorities for future research are identified. This study adds to the body of knowledge related to NTFP harvesting and critically analyses the conflicts between the livelihood gains and the level of disturbance created through NTFP harvesting in an attempt to ascertain how livelihoods can be safeguarded. And in the longer-term, so that management strategies can be identified where resource extraction is not at the cost of undermining the very livelihoods that depend upon the natural resource base.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Steele, Melita Zoë
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4736 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004604 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Description: A great deal of research has demonstrated that Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) play a crucial role in the livelihoods of the rural poor, and are particularly important to the most marginalised people throughout the developing world. However, these livelihood benefits are not without cost to the natural resource base that rural communities depend so heavily upon. The continued dependence on NTFPs as a major livelihood source must be contingent upon the minimisation of the level of disturbance created through this dependency. This study assesses the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting in eight study sites around South Africa, and applies a predictive conceptual model created by Shankaar et al. (2004b) to try and ascertain under what conditions the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting will be high. It assesses the three key factors that Shankaar et al. (2004b) identified (level of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), level of dependency and access to markets) in relation to the level of disturbance found at each of the study sites. It was found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the level of dependency and the level of disturbance, but there was no statistically significant relationship between either access to markets or the level of LEK and disturbance. Regulation of land use is a key issue, with weak local institutions in communal areas making effective resource management difficult. The significance of these findings is discussed, and priorities for future research are identified. This study adds to the body of knowledge related to NTFP harvesting and critically analyses the conflicts between the livelihood gains and the level of disturbance created through NTFP harvesting in an attempt to ascertain how livelihoods can be safeguarded. And in the longer-term, so that management strategies can be identified where resource extraction is not at the cost of undermining the very livelihoods that depend upon the natural resource base.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
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