Looking Through the Bamboo Curtain: An Analysis of the Changing Role of Forest and Farm Income in Rural Livelihoods in China

Abstract

SUMMARYForestry and poverty analyses in China show an ambiguous relationship. While the co-occurrence of forest rich areas and poor counties has been noted by some authors, others have stressed the role played by forestry in these areas where it is frequently one of the few options available. Our study indicates that the expansion of off-farm income is the fundamental development process taking place in many areas of rural China. Forestry can offer good income generating options to farmers, but as the local economy develops forestry tends to be displaced by more attractive alternatives. There are niche specialisation opportunities even for rich farmers, normally linked to a certain degree of vertical integration, enhanced by specific features of some forestry uses like bamboo.

Bars to Jars: Bamboo Value Chains in Cameroon

“…Whilst one study exists on grasses (van der Zon 1992), knowledge of the taxonomy, distribution, and uses of bamboo are limited to four geographically specific botanic inventories (Hawkins and Brunt 1965;van Dijk 1999;Cheek et al 2000a, b;Zapfack et al 2001) and a only a handful of studies mention its uses (Lauber 1990;Gautier 1995Gautier , 1992Knopfli 2001;Comiskey et al 2003). Globally, bamboo is an important resource: meeting growing and diverse consumer demands for natural, environment-friendly products, and providing income and livelihoods particularly in developing countries, contributing to reforestation and climate change mitigation measures (Perez et al 2004;Pabuayon 2009;Lobovikov et al 2011). However, in Cameroon, quantitative and qualitative data on the role of bamboo in the livelihoods of users and those involved in its trade does not exist.…”

“…4) is narrow compared with Asia. Exemplified by China, this may be due to the longer production history and well-developed and diversified processing industry (Perez et al 2004). In contrast to other highly commercialized NTFPs in Cameroon (Ingram 2011), over half of bamboo harvesters manage their resource carefully, with most owned by the harvester.…”

“…Given the one-off nature and limited sample size, a fuller baseline study and value chain analysis could inform actors and focus on the weakest links and problems identified. Asian experiences (Perez et al 2004;Pabuayon 2009) indicate that new products and designs, appropriate materials and processing innovations could help diversify incomes and add value to increase the prestige and durability of bamboo products. Discussions during the 2009 INBAR workshop and the study findings indicate that chain interventions could focus on selecting and planting suitable multiple-use species; increasing consumer and craftsperson's awareness of species properties and uses; professionalization and training in harvesting, processing, and business skills; and addressing problem areas indicated by actors, particularly storage.…”

Processes Underlying 50 Years of Local Forest-Cover Change in Yunnan, China

“…These processes can also be observed in other areas of China. Both the policy response to forest scarcity and broader economic developments occurred throughout the country [52].…”

When should households be compensated for land-use restrictions? A decision-making framework for Chinese forest policy

“…However, there are a number of reasons why compensation may be appropriate in practice. First, forest-based households are poorer on average than downstream households and tend to live in remote regions with fewer economic alternatives (Pérez et al, 2004). Compensation may therefore be desirable from an equity perspective.…”