The Impact of NTFP Sales on Rural Households’ Cash Income in India’s Dry Deciduous Forest

Mahapatra, A. K.; Albers, Heidi J.; Robinson, Elizabeth

doi:10.1007/s00267-003-8203-9

Cited by 105 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…In southern Malawi, Fisher (2004) shows that forest income reduces income inequality (inequality increases 12% when forest income is not considered). Mahapatra et al (2005) use an India data set to estimate the impacts of NTFP sales on cash income. They show that sales of NTFPs can decrease income inequality.…”

Section: Poverty Inequality and Natural Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does natural resource extraction mitigate poverty and inequality? Evidence from rural Mexico and a Lacandona Rainforest Community

López‐Feldman¹,

Mora²,

Taylor³

2007

Envir. Dev. Econ.

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SummaryThe potential importance of natural resources for the livelihood of poor rural households has long been recognized but seldom quantified and analyzed. In this paper we examine distributional and poverty effects of natural resource extraction at the national, regional and community levels. To do this, we use new data from a national rural household survey and a community survey implemented in the Lacandona Rainforest (Selva Lacandona) of Mexico. First, we explore whether income from natural resource extraction affects poverty and inequality. Then we calculate the marginal impact of a change in the price of natural resources on inequality. Finally, using information from Frontera Corozal, a community in the Selva Lacandona, we evaluate the short-run poverty effects of changes in the price of a non-timber forest product (the xate palm), which is extracted from this and other threatened forest areas in Mexico and Guatemala.Our findings highlight the importance of income from natural resource extraction in alleviating poverty and income inequality in rural Mexico. Results show that the number of poor individuals increases 4.2% and inequality increases 2.4% when natural resource income is not taken into consideration. Inequality in the distribution of natural resource income is relatively high.Nevertheless, an unequally distributed income source may favor the poor. For example, welfare transfers are usually unequally distributed (most households do not receive them), but they are directed disproportionately at poor households. This is the case for natural resource income in all of our samples. A 10% increase in income from natural resources, other things being equal, reduces the Gini coefficient of total income inequality by 0.2% in Mexico. In the South-Southeast region and in Frontera Corozal, a 10% increase in natural resource income reduces the Gini coefficient by 0.36% and 0.11%, respectively.A doubling of the price of xate fronds in Frontera Corozal is associated with a 6% decrease in the number of poor individuals in Frontera Corozal in the short run. Nevertheless, in the long 3 run, sustained price increases could lead to overexploitation of the resource, leaving everyone worse off. The interrelationship between extraction decisions and the resource base as well as the institutional setting surrounding price increases will determine whether or not this perverse outcome prevails. 4 Does Natural Resource Extraction Mitigate Poverty and Inequality? Evidence from Rural Mexico and a Lacandona Rainforest CommunityAbstract The potential importance of natural resources for the livelihood of poor rural households has long been recognized but seldom quantified and analyzed. In this paper we apply poverty and inequality measures to national and community level data sets to explore the impacts of resource extraction on rural welfare. Our findings suggest that natural resource extraction reduces both income inequality and poverty.Results from a simulation analysis at the community level indicate that poverty may be r...

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Section: Poverty Inequality and Natural Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does natural resource extraction mitigate poverty and inequality? Evidence from rural Mexico and a Lacandona Rainforest Community

López‐Feldman¹,

Mora²,

Taylor³

2007

Envir. Dev. Econ.

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“…The extraction of NTFPs is a very common and well recognized way of sustaining local livelihoods throughout the world (Iqbal 1993;de Beer and McDermott 1996;Arnold and Ruiz Perez 1998;Hedge and Enters 2000;Wunder 2000;Angelsen and Wunder 2003;Shackleton and Shackleton 2004;Ticktin 2004;Das 2005;Mahapapatra et al 2005;Rasul et al 2008) and sustainable harvesting of NTFPs is now advocated as ecologically, economically and culturally better forest practice (Uma Shankar et al 2001;Shackleton et al 2005), even though the sustainability has rarely been empirically tested, particularly in the case of PAs (Arnold and Ruiz Pérez 2001;Shahabuddin and Our study clearly suggests that NTFPs play a crucial role in the life and livelihoods of rural forest-dependent people in Satchari area; providing full-time or seasonal employment to about 18% of households, and worth 19% of total cash generated in the area. In both cases, although the contribution of NTFPs was not large, it was very important, mostly for poorer households who directly or indirectly benefit from collection and trading (Dove 1993;Das 2005) and for those who were undoubtedly most vulnerable in this area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating livelihoods and conservation in protected areas: understanding the role and stakeholder views on prospects for non-timber forest products, a Bangladesh case study

Mukul

Uddin

Rashid

et al. 2010

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ec

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Protected areas (PAs) represent a key global strategy in biodiversity conservation. In tropical developing countries, the management of PAs is a great challenge as many contain resources on which local communities rely. Collection and trading of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is a well-established forest-based livelihood strategy, which has been promoted as a potential means for enhanced conservation and improved rural livelihoods in recent years, even though the sustainability or ecological implications have rarely been tested. We conducted an exploratory survey to understand the role and stakeholder views on conservation prospects and perceived ecological feasibility of NTFPs and harvesting schemes in a northeastern PA of Bangladesh, namely the Satchari National Park. Households (n ¼ 101) were interviewed from three different forest dependency categories, adopting a stratified random sampling approach and using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study identified 13 locally important NTFPs, with five being critically important to supporting local livelihoods. Our study suggests that collection, processing and trading in NTFPs constitutes the primary occupation for about 18% of local inhabitants and account for an estimated 19% of their cash annual income. The household consensus on issues relating to NTFPs and their prospective role in conservation was surprisingly high, with 48% of respondents believing that promotion of NTFPs in the PA could have positive conservation value. The majority (71%) of households also had some understanding of the ecological implications of NTFP harvesting, sustainability (53%) and possible management and monitoring regimes (100%). With little known about their real application in the field, our study suggests further investigations are required to understand the ecological compatibility of traditional NTFP harvesting patterns and management.

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“…NTFP extraction can contribute positively to sustainable forest management as it provides tangible economic benefits to poor rural communities whilst simultaneously conserving biodiversity (Peters, 1989;Kaushal and Melkani, 2005;Mahapatra et al, 2005). Since very early times the traditional societies have a sound traditional knowledge which can be attributed to their rich experience and close interaction with the natural ecosystem.…”

Section: Filtration and Preservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional honey harvesting by the Pnar community of South Assam, India

et al. 2017

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Honey obtained from the bee hives is a sweet food and has a great medicinal value. Honey collected from nature by the ethnic communities is an important source of nutrition and also contribute to their income generation. Honey collection from the wild is especially done by the indigenous tribe and forest dwellers. The Pnar community living in Barak Valley, South Assam is also engaged in the collection of honey from the forest, especially during the spring season. The process starts with the gathering of information, followed by the preparation for the activity and subsequently extraction of honey from the bee hive. The technique used by the Pnar community is a challenging one as it involves harvesting of honey from lofty trees in forest with traditionally made gears like bamboo basket, smoke torch and a one bamboo ladder. The indigenous ways involves lining the bamboo basket with leaves for the collection of honey, using smoke to frighten the bee and storage of honey in the bamboo pipes. The present study exhibits the rich traditional knowledge that has paved the way for a sustainable livelihood since long and at the same time provides income generation opportunity for the community.

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The Impact of NTFP Sales on Rural Households’ Cash Income in India’s Dry Deciduous Forest

Cited by 105 publications

References 7 publications

Does natural resource extraction mitigate poverty and inequality? Evidence from rural Mexico and a Lacandona Rainforest Community

Does natural resource extraction mitigate poverty and inequality? Evidence from rural Mexico and a Lacandona Rainforest Community

Integrating livelihoods and conservation in protected areas: understanding the role and stakeholder views on prospects for non-timber forest products, a Bangladesh case study

Traditional honey harvesting by the Pnar community of South Assam, India

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