This paper examines whether medium-scale woodfuel plantations based on an agroforestry model can alleviate pressure on natural forests through the development of more sustainable livelihoods, on the basis of a case study of plantation projects in Kinshasa province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Research results support the hypothesis that these plantation projects promote a set of conditions that play a role in deterring households from making charcoal from natural forests. A series of interconnected factors observed in woodfuel plantations create a favourable environment for the development of alternative, more successful livelihoods that are less dependent on the unsustainable exploitation of forest resources. Positive effects are first observed within plantation boundaries; they can also spill over into neighbouring areas. However, positive impacts are more likely to occur, and on a larger scale, if proactive measures in favour of rural development in general are implemented simultaneously.

Even though several researchers have advanced reasons underlying the prevalence of illegal logging in the tropics, the use of socialization, social identity and corporate social responsibility theories to explain this phenomenon is rare. This study examined whether value, social identity, and corporate social responsibility theories can be used to explain why illegal logging is prevalent in four forest communities in Ghana. Drawing on these theories, it was hypothesized that the chainsaw operators (CSO) are using their social responsibility activities and community solidarity to solicit support from the forest communities in which they operate. Using systematic and convenience sampling techniques, 95 households and 380 individuals were sampled, respectively, for the study. It is evident from the study that the strong attachment of the chainsaw operators to the communities in which they operate has enabled them to galvanize support from the communities and this support appears to have been strengthened by the perceived social, environmental, and economic benefits derived from the chainsaw operations. Among the corporate social responsibility factors, higher compensation rates paid to farmers for crops damage by CSO and the perception that chainsaw operations are more environmentally benign than those of large-scale timber harvesting firms appear to be the most significant factors influencing farmers' decision to support CSO. The paper concludes that the question of who should own trees on farmlands and what economic benefits should be accrued to farmers for keeping commercial trees on their farms needs rethinking. Strengthening the policy regime on compensation payments and strong adherence to timber harvesting rules could also help reduce the incidence of illegal logging, at least, at the community level.

This paper describes types, processes and importance of rent-seeking in the allocation of timber rights in Ghana. It is based on an analysis of 30 interviews with large-, medium- and small-scale timber firms, as well as government officials and timber industry organizations in Ghana. The paper documents that timber rights allocation is associated with both bureaucratic and political corruption. The latter comes in two forms. First, the findings suggest that well-established relationships exist between politicians and senior bureaucrats on the one side and large-scale timber firms on the other involving exchange of timber rights for political support and/or material, personal benefits. Second, timber rights are allocated to persons or firms outside the timber sector allegedly as payment for political support. The paper concludes that the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between Ghana and the EU is likely to reduce the observed practises in the future through increased transparency.

The paper studies a REDD pilot project carried out by TFCG and MJUMITA in Kilosa district, Tanzania, and its potential implications for livelihoods and project sustainability. The aim is moreover to gain knowledge of value to the development of REDD policies at national level. The analysis is based on empirical data from three pilot villages taking part in the pilot project. A household survey and key resource person interviews were carried out in the villages, in addition to in-depth interviews with staff from the implementing organizations and key REDD stakeholders. The Sustainable Livelihood Approach and theories on how to create sustainable and legitimate systems for natural resource management were used to analyse the data. The role of district level governance in a REDD scheme needs to be strengthened and the country's land tenure system needs reform. Local variations in income, resource dependence, forest use and social cohesion need recognition when planning, designing and implementing REDD policies in order to generate an enduring and effective REDD system.

Definitions for “forest” and “woodland” are heterogeneous around the world. Great diversity and diffuse thresholds among ecosystems hinder the construction of criteria for the definition of woodlands. The focus of this review is to deconstruct structural definitions for forests and woodlands. Three fundamental conditions are proposed. A synthesis of the most relevant criteria for the definition and evaluation of forests and woodlands is presented, describing the basic functional aspects for the construction of sustainability indicators. Three conditions are defined: self-organization, dynamics and teleonomy; including different criteria: diversity, reliability and redundancy, fragmentation, connectivity, resilience and stability, and regeneration. Woodlands functioning should be the main condition for its inclusion in natural resources laws for the management and conservancy, according to the local context. Generalization of conditions for all woodlands in the world or in a particular country is unpractical and should encompass the expected functional criteria according to local context.

Ghana's forests, particularly the timber resources, face an uncertain future, because of high deforestation rate, a rapidly declining timber resource base, rapid population growth and increasing demand for timber. This paper explores the future development of timber resource in Ghana by constructing scenarios and considering options policy-makers could take to ensure sustainable future development of the timber resource. Data was collected by reviewing the literature and consulting experts. The scenarios follow the deductive approach, exploring the potential interactions among key driving forces as selected by experts. The two most important driving forces for the future of timber resources selected by the experts were forest governance and resource demand. Four plausible scenarios were developed: legal forestry scenario with emphasis on improving the resource base to meet high demand; forest degradation, a business-as-usual scenario; forest transition, with emphasis on expanding the resource base in response to environmental concerns; and timber substitution scenario seeking to provide wood substitutes to conserve the resource base. The scenarios provide insights for policy making and strategic planning for forest resource management in Ghana. To ensure a sustainable future for timber resources, policy reform is needed, focusing on land and tree tenure, revenue capture, benefit-sharing schemes and satisfying the domestic demand for timber.

The international forest regime complex (IFRC) comprises a wide range of international policies, institutions and actors. The study of the influence of individual elements of the IFRC at a domestic level has become significant in forest governance processes. This paper identifies the most relevant international forest-related policy issues currently discussed in Bangladeshi forest politics and analyses the active actors and their positions on the issues identified. As an empirical method, the content analyses of media and of expert sources were employed and a theorybased actor typology was adopted. The analysis detects issues that encompass various policy domains e.g., REDD elements of UNFCCC, biodiversity elements of CBD, sustainable forest management, community based forest management and good governance. Our results suggest that future empirical research on the implementation of the IFRC in Bangladesh, especially analysing the role of powerful actors (e.g., the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Bangladesh Forest Department, and Development Cooperation Agencies) using power analysis would be worthwhile.

This paper aims to examine and compare the interactions between policy to combat illegal logging (FLEGT VPA) and avoiding deforestation and forest degradation (REDD ) in Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo by applying an institutional interaction approach. Several interactions have occurred between the two regimes, and more interactions are expected. In both countries, the process for developing the VPA has served as a policy model for designing elements of REDD . Overlaps in issue-areas and membership triggered these interactions. Implementation of the VPA is also expected to result in positive behavioural change among forest stakeholders that could in turn have positive impacts on REDD . There are also disruptive interactions, such as the slow pace of VPA implementation affecting REDD progress in both countries. Furthermore, there is substantial similarity in terms of the nature and quality of interactions between Cameroon and Congo. Building understanding and exchange of information among stakeholders and request for assistance and jurisdictional delimitation could enhance synergies and mitigate disruptive interactions between the two regimes in both countries.

This paper provides a historical perspective on the development of forest genetic resources (FGR) in Zimbabwe. We narrate the introduction and improvement of FGR for deployment in industrial plantations based on exotic pine and eucalypt species and describe interventions in managing FRG in indigenous forests and farming areas. The introduction of exotic FGR to underpin plantation forestry was supported by tree breeding and improvement strategies, some of which have been tried only in Zimbabwe. Interventions in indigenous forests by the Forest Research Centre (FRC) were reinforced by international support that advocated for development projects with a community focus and improved outcomes for rural livelihoods. This narrative reflects on forest research and development in the country, its success and shortfalls, and provides lessons on forest management in a developing country with a modern industrial forest sector and an indigenous forest resource that has potential to improve livelihoods, and at the same time having intrinsic vulnerabilities that are leading to its degradation.