Yes / This briefing paper reports on research exploring four detailed case studies of rural livelihoods interventions operating in Tanzania, South Africa and Uganda. Analysing these interventions through an audit of sustainable livelihood `principles¿ (as a proxy for best practice) reveals general lessons about both the practical opportunities and challenges for employing sustainable livelihoods approaches to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development interventions. / Department for International Development

Yes / This briefing paper reports on research exploring detailed case studies of HIV/AIDS livelihoods-oriented interventions operating in Uganda, Lesotho and South Africa. The interventions were analysed through an audit of sustainable livelihood `principles¿. This revealed general lessons both about the practical opportunities and challenges for employing sustainable livelihoods approaches to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development interventions and also about the changing format of development interventions. / Department for International Development

This study is an enquiry into the processes shaping rural livelihoods in peripheral areas. The study is situated in the field of livelihood research and departs in the persistent crisis within African smallholder agriculture and in rural policy debates during the postindependence era. The research takes a critical stance to the way that people-centred and actor-oriented approaches have dominated livelihood research, thereby over-shadowing structural and macro-oriented features. The aim of this study is to, through a historical perspective on rural livelihoods and policy regimes, uncover the political and economic processes, with their discursive foundations, that shape contemporary rural livelihoods in peripheral areas. The analytical framework emphasises four key factors: ideas of development and modernity; the terms of incorporation into the global economy; rural policy regimes; smallholders’ ways of making a living. Inspiration is gained from critical political geography, world-systems analysis and different perspectives on rural livelihoods and development. The empirical study is based on fieldwork in Chipata District in Eastern Zambia, investigations at the National Archives of Zambia, the British National Archives and library research. The findings are presented in three parts. The first part looks into contemporary policies and the situation among smallholders in Chipata District. The second part examines the history of the area up to independence in 1964. The third part examines the post-independence period which links colonial experience to the contemporary situation. The findings suggest that smallholders’ livelihoods are shaped by long-term politicaleconomic- discursive processes, rooted in the terms of the study area’s integration into the world-economy in the colonial period. Colonial policies peripheralised the area through tax, labour, and market policies and the creation of native reserves, all of which have led to contemporary problems of food insecurity, soil depletion and a marginal role in agricultural markets. Since the inception of colonial rule, semi-proletarianisation has been a dominant process in the area. Current diversified livelihoods are more a contemporary expression of this semi-proletarianisation than a consequence of postcolonial policies. The households in the study area show preference for a farming way of life. However, the development goal of modernity has since long led to an ‘othering’ of smallholders, labelling them backwards and resistant to change. In the early twenty-first century this ‘othering’ has been played out through a development programme aimed at changing attitudes and mindsets among the farmers in line with individualistic and entrepreneurial behaviour. The ‘othering’ discourses of contemporary and colonial policymakers display striking similarities in this case.

A diversidade é uma característica central dos modos de vida rurais campesinos. As explicações para tal são principalmente duas. Por um lado, porque a diversificação de produtos e atividades pode promover ganhos econômicos e, por outro, porque reduz os riscos. A teoria de escolha racional prediz que unidades domésticas semiautárquicas buscariam maximizar uma função utilidade e, para isso, ao se integrarem ao mercado, tenderiam a se especializar nos produtos e nas atividades com maior retorno econômico. Contudo, em contextos de incerteza, como aqueles rurais remotos, estas unidades tenderiam a diversificar os produtos e as atividades de que dependem para tamponar eventuais flutuações no consumo e na renda. A esse respeito, resultados de estudos prévios que avaliaram o efeito da introdução de novas fontes de renda monetária sobre a diversidade de produtos e atividades baseados em recursos naturais que unidades domésticas rurais dependem são inconclusivos. Parte mostra que incrementos nas fontes de renda estão associados à redução na diversidade de atividades e produtos que as unidades domésticas dependem, enquanto outros indicam manutenção ou mesmo aumento da diversidade. Há, contudo, poucas evidências sobre os efeitos das transferências condicionadas de renda sobre o uso de recursos naturais por unidades domésticas rurais. Portanto, este estudo teve por objetivo investigar se as transferências de renda do Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) estavam associadas à diversidade de produtos e fontes de renda baseados em recursos naturais que os domicílios rurais do Vale do Ribeira dependem. Para isso, o estudo baseou-se em um survey por entrevistas presenciais aos chefes (homem ou mulher) de 123 domicílios rurais. Os domicílios foram amostrados em oito setores censitários com concentração de pobreza e variabilidade no nível de cobertura florestal. Para a análise dos dados, foram adotados procedimentos descritivos, testes não paramétricos de Wilcoxon e o método de Pareamento por Escore de Propensão. Os resultados indicaram que o PBF não teve efeitos significativos na diversidade de produtos agropecuários ou ambientais que os domicílios dependeram no último mês, ou no número de fontes de renda baseadas em recursos naturais. Possíveis explicações da ausência de efeitos passam por motivadores na base de tomada de decisão, limitações do delineamento adotado ou particularidades da localidade. A conclusão é que o PBF não afeta as decisões quanto à diversificação do uso de recursos naturais que dependem os domicílios rurais nos locais do estudo. / Diversity is a central feature of peasant rural livelihoods. The enlightenments for this are mainly two. On the one hand, the diversification of products and activities can promote economic improvements and, on the other hand, it can reduce risks. The theory of rational choice predicts that semi-autonomous domestic units would aim to maximize a utility function and, in order to do so, once market-integrated, would tend to specialize in the products and activities with the highest economic return. However, in contexts of uncertainty, such as in remote rural areas, these units would lean towards the diversification of products and activities they rely on, in order to overcome possible fluctuations in consumption and income. In this regard, results from previous studies that have evaluated the effect of introducing new sources of monetary income on the diversity of products and activities based on natural resources, which rural households depend on, are inconclusive. Part shows that increases in sources of income are associated with a reduction in the diversity of activities and products that households rely on, while others indicate maintenance or even an increase in diversity. There is, however, little evidence on the effects of conditional cash transfers on the usage of natural resources by rural households. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether income transfers from the Bolsa Família Program (PBF) were associated to the diversity of products and sources of income based on natural resources that rural households in the Ribeira Valley depend on. In order to do so, the study was based on a survey, applied by interviews held personally to family leaders (man or woman) of 123 rural households. Households were sampled within eight census tracts according to poverty concentration and variability at the level of forest cover. For the data analysis, were applied descriptive procedures, non-parametric Wilcoxon tests and the Method of Propensity Score. The results indicated that the PBF had no significant effect on the diversity of agricultural or environmental products that households relied on in the last month or on the number of natural resource-based sources of income. Possible explanations to this absence of effects go through motivators based on decision-making, limitations on the adopted proposal design, or particularities of the locality. The conclusion is that the PBF does not affect decisions regarding the diversification of the usage of natural resources that rural households at these study sites depend on.

The self-recruiting species (SRS) are aquatic animals that can be harvested regularly from a farmer managed system without regular stocking as described by Little (2002a, b). The potential and current role of self-recruiting species from farmer managed aquatic systems (FMAS) is often overlooked, whilst much attention has been given to stocked species (often associated in conventional culture ponds and cages) as well as the fisheries sector (often relates to large water bodies i.e. river lakes and reservoirs). Using the combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches, the current status, the important contribution of SRS and factors undermining this contribution to the livelihoods of rural households in mainland Southeast (SE) Asia were investigated. The overall analysis of this research was done based from the sustainable livelihood (SL) framework (Scoones, 1998; DFID, 1999) in order to have a broader understanding of the importance of SRS as well as the rural livelihoods in selected areas of mainland SE Asia which often benefit from this resource. The research was carried out in rural villages of southeast Cambodia (SEC), northeast Thailand (NET) and Red River Delta in northern Vietnam (RRD). The sites (region of the country) were selected based from the intensity of aquaculture practices (less established and mainly relying on natural production, aquaculture established but also relying on natural production and mainly aquaculture dependent) as well as the agriculture i.e. intensiveness of rice production. Eighteen villages (6 villages/ country) were selected to represent the two agro-ecological zones (i.e. LOW and DRY areas) of the study sites. In order to fully assess the situation and meet the objectives of the research, the study was carried out using three stages which dealt with different approaches and sets of participants/respondents; i) participatory community appraisal (PCA), ii) baseline survey and iii) longitudinal study. The different stages of the research were carried out during the period of April 2001 until September 2004. During the first stage, a series of community appraisals using participatory methods were conducted in all of the participating villages in the three study sites. The participatory appraisal was conducted in order to understand the general rural context in the villages as well as the importance of aquatic resources. Moreover, the PCA in a way helped build rapport between the researcher and the communities. The series of appraisals were conducted with different wellbeing and gender groups (better-off men, better-off women, poor men and poor women). The various shocks, trends and seasonality that influenced the status of living in the community, diversified livelihoods and the differences in preference of socioeconomic and gender groups were analysed in this stage. The important aquatic animals (AA) and the local criteria for determing their importance were the highlights of this stage of the research. The important AA identified were composed of large fish (Channa spp., Clarias spp., Hemibagrus sp, Common, Indian, Silver and Grass carps), small fish (Anabas testudineus, Rasbora spp., Mystus spp., Carassius auratus) as well as non-fish (Macrobrachium spp., Rana spp., Somanniathelpusa sp., Sinotaia spp.) which were particularly important to poorer groups in the community. The local criteria used were mainly food and nutrition related (good taste, easy to cook, versatility in preparation), abundance (availability, ease of catching) as well as economic value (good price). Significant differences were found between various interactions of sites, agro-ecological zones, gender and wellbeing groups. The second stage of the research was the baseline survey (cross-sectional survey) which was also carried out in the same communities and collected information from a total of 540 respondents (30 respondents per village or 180 per country). This stage of the study was carried out in order to generate household level information (mostly quantitative) regarding the socio-economic indicators to triangulate the information generated during the participatory appraisal and the different aquatic systems that existed in the community as well as the various management practices used (not limited to stocking hatchery seed and feeding). The different livelihood resources (human, physical, financial, natural and social capital) and the diversified strategies of rural households in SE Asia were analysed in this phase. Another highlight of this phase was the understanding of the various aquatic systems that rural farmers managed and how they related to the existence of self-recruiting species. The common aquatic resources identified during this phase included farmer managed aquatic systems (FMAS) and openwater bodies (OWB) where rural households usually obtained their aquatic products. The various types of FMAS which included ricefields, trap ponds, household ponds, culture ponds and ditches were identified as important aquatic resources which mainly provide food as well as additional income to the rural poor. All of these FMAS were being managed at various levels which directly affected the SRS population. Different types of farmers were identified based on their attitudes towards and management of SRS: i) SRS positive, farmers who allow and attract SRS into the system, ii) SRS negative, farmers who prevent or eliminate SRS and iii) SRS neutral, farmers doing nothing that would encourage or prevent SRS from entering into the system. Variations were related to the main factors (i.e sites, agroecological zones, wellbeing groups) and their interactions. The final stage of this study was the year-long household survey (longitudinal study) that investigated the seasonality of various aspects of rural livelihoods, status of the different aquatic systems and the important contribution of AA in general, and SRS in particular, to the overall livelihood strategies employed by rural farmers. This phase involved a total of 162 households (9 per village or 54 per country) selected based on the aquatic systems they managed and had access to. Other socio-economic factors (gender and wellbeing) were also considered during the selection of participants in this phase of the study. The results of the year long household survey highlighted the important contributions of SRS: i) to the total AA collections which were utilised in various ways, ii) contribution to overall food consumption in general and AA consumption in particular (which was found to be the most important contribution of SRS), iii) contribution to household nutrition (as a major source of animal protein and essential micro nutrients in rural areas), iv) contribution to income and expenditures, and v) improving the social capital of rural households (through sharing of production and mobilizing community in local resources user group management). Moreover, the social context and the dynamics of inter and intra household relationships were understood, especially the gender issues on division of labour (where women and children played an important part on the production), access and benefits (how women and children were being marginalised in terms of making decision and controlling benefits). The various results of the combined approaches that were utilised in all stages of the research were analysed and presented in this thesis. The results of the community appraisals and the baseline survey were used in setting the context (background) of each topic (e.g. livelihood activities, AA importance, etc). Meanwhile, the results of the longitudinal survey were used in illustrating the trends and highlighted the seasonality of particular issues. Overall the study contributed to knowledge by elucidating the status and roles of self-recruiting species in maintaining/ improving the overall livelihoods of rural farmers in Southeast Asia.

No description available.

Globalization and human-domination of the globe have increased the complexity, scope and pace of human-environment interactions in ways that have fundamentally reconfigured the opportunities and challenges for sustainability. As a result, what society needs from science has shifted. Society and scientists alike now call for new ways of doing science that can support decision-makers to confront the complexity and uncertainty of sustainability in today’s more globalized world. The research presented in this thesis contributes to answering this call. The goal of the research was to examine complexities in how globalization shapes the opportunities and challenges for pursuing sustainability. It was conducted in a region of the world where human-environment interactions have been fundamentally transformed by globalization: Latin America. The research used a two-tiered, qualitative case study approach to examine environmental policy-making in Costa Rica and land-use management in Costa Rica’s dry North West. It had three specific objectives: 1. To analyze how environmental policy-making in Costa Rica was influenced by the transfer of policy ideas between the international and Costa Rican political systems; 2. To trial a novel methodology for conducting qualitative land-use research that can support natural resource managers to pursue sustainability while maintaining a high level of scientific credibility; and, 3. To examine the specific processes of forest recovery and rural livelihood change in Costa Rica’s dry North West, and their implications for sustainability and forest management. This research makes three key contributions to our understanding of interactions between globalization, sustainability and complex social-ecological systems. First, it counters a tendency towards oversimplification in both theories and solutions for sustainability. It shows that neither generalized large-scale theories nor single blueprint solutions are adequate on their own to address the complex reality of environmental policy-making and land-use management in Costa Rica today. Second, it demonstrates how the potential of qualitative research to support natural resource managers can be more fully realized through methodological innovation. Third, it reveals important ways that environmental policy-makers and natural resource managers can avoid the pitfalls of oversimplification to more directly confront the complexities of pursuing sustainability under globalization.

A diversidade é uma característica central dos modos de vida rurais campesinos. As explicações para tal são principalmente duas. Por um lado, porque a diversificação de produtos e atividades pode promover ganhos econômicos e, por outro, porque reduz os riscos. A teoria de escolha racional prediz que unidades domésticas semiautárquicas buscariam maximizar uma função utilidade e, para isso, ao se integrarem ao mercado, tenderiam a se especializar nos produtos e nas atividades com maior retorno econômico. Contudo, em contextos de incerteza, como aqueles rurais remotos, estas unidades tenderiam a diversificar os produtos e as atividades de que dependem para tamponar eventuais flutuações no consumo e na renda. A esse respeito, resultados de estudos prévios que avaliaram o efeito da introdução de novas fontes de renda monetária sobre a diversidade de produtos e atividades baseados em recursos naturais que unidades domésticas rurais dependem são inconclusivos. Parte mostra que incrementos nas fontes de renda estão associados à redução na diversidade de atividades e produtos que as unidades domésticas dependem, enquanto outros indicam manutenção ou mesmo aumento da diversidade. Há, contudo, poucas evidências sobre os efeitos das transferências condicionadas de renda sobre o uso de recursos naturais por unidades domésticas rurais. Portanto, este estudo teve por objetivo investigar se as transferências de renda do Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) estavam associadas à diversidade de produtos e fontes de renda baseados em recursos naturais que os domicílios rurais do Vale do Ribeira dependem. Para isso, o estudo baseou-se em um survey por entrevistas presenciais aos chefes (homem ou mulher) de 123 domicílios rurais. Os domicílios foram amostrados em oito setores censitários com concentração de pobreza e variabilidade no nível de cobertura florestal. Para a análise dos dados, foram adotados procedimentos descritivos, testes não paramétricos de Wilcoxon e o método de Pareamento por Escore de Propensão. Os resultados indicaram que o PBF não teve efeitos significativos na diversidade de produtos agropecuários ou ambientais que os domicílios dependeram no último mês, ou no número de fontes de renda baseadas em recursos naturais. Possíveis explicações da ausência de efeitos passam por motivadores na base de tomada de decisão, limitações do delineamento adotado ou particularidades da localidade. A conclusão é que o PBF não afeta as decisões quanto à diversificação do uso de recursos naturais que dependem os domicílios rurais nos locais do estudo. / Diversity is a central feature of peasant rural livelihoods. The enlightenments for this are mainly two. On the one hand, the diversification of products and activities can promote economic improvements and, on the other hand, it can reduce risks. The theory of rational choice predicts that semi-autonomous domestic units would aim to maximize a utility function and, in order to do so, once market-integrated, would tend to specialize in the products and activities with the highest economic return. However, in contexts of uncertainty, such as in remote rural areas, these units would lean towards the diversification of products and activities they rely on, in order to overcome possible fluctuations in consumption and income. In this regard, results from previous studies that have evaluated the effect of introducing new sources of monetary income on the diversity of products and activities based on natural resources, which rural households depend on, are inconclusive. Part shows that increases in sources of income are associated with a reduction in the diversity of activities and products that households rely on, while others indicate maintenance or even an increase in diversity. There is, however, little evidence on the effects of conditional cash transfers on the usage of natural resources by rural households. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether income transfers from the Bolsa Família Program (PBF) were associated to the diversity of products and sources of income based on natural resources that rural households in the Ribeira Valley depend on. In order to do so, the study was based on a survey, applied by interviews held personally to family leaders (man or woman) of 123 rural households. Households were sampled within eight census tracts according to poverty concentration and variability at the level of forest cover. For the data analysis, were applied descriptive procedures, non-parametric Wilcoxon tests and the Method of Propensity Score. The results indicated that the PBF had no significant effect on the diversity of agricultural or environmental products that households relied on in the last month or on the number of natural resource-based sources of income. Possible explanations to this absence of effects go through motivators based on decision-making, limitations on the adopted proposal design, or particularities of the locality. The conclusion is that the PBF does not affect decisions regarding the diversification of the usage of natural resources that rural households at these study sites depend on.

Magister Economicae - MEcon / In this thesis, I explore the allocation and use of water for productive and domestic purposes in the village of Siyandhani in the Klein Letaba sub-area, and how the allocation and use is being affected by new water resource management and water services provision legislation and policies in the context of water reform. This problem is worth studying because access to water for domestic and productive purposes is a critical dimension of poverty alleviation.The study focuses in particular on the extent to which policy objectives of greater equity in resource allocation and poverty alleviation are being achieved at local level with the following specific objectives: to establish water resources availability in Letaba/Shingwedzi sub-region, specifically surface and groundwater and examine water uses by different sectors (e.g. agriculture, industry, domestic, forestry etc.,); to explore the dynamics of existing formal and informal institutions for water resources management and water services provision and the relationship between and among them; to investigate the practice of allocation and use of domestic water; to investigate the practice of allocation and use of irrigation water.The study concludes that there is a problem of water scarcity in the study area and that the water scarcity is caused by the growth in the population, specifically in the Giyani area; these problems are exacerbated by financial and institutional obstacles within local institutions of governance. The water scarcity is not, therefore, natural but anthropogenic in nature.The water scarcity is not felt by all sectors, however: some farmers have access to water for irrigation, while many others face great challenges in their farming activities.Overall, people in Siyandhani and surrounding villages surrounding villages in the Letaba Catchment do not have access to water because of human action, hence the use of the concept of manufactured scarcity. The lack of access to water, it is argued,leads to the violation of the human right to water. This study concludes that water reform, which is widely seen as a priority for South Africa, has not yet reached the villages of the Klein Letaba.

Forestry and the wood-based sector provide increasing contributions to the national and rural economy development. Tree plantations serve as a business opportunity to secure the livelihood of thousands of small-scale timber producer households in several tropical countries. Given that forest land and the timber production it supports is limited, sustainable management of forest-based resources including timber is required. By integrating the value chain and livelihood analysis framework, this study investigates the value chains and impacts on rural livelihoods of commercial Acacia hybrid timber in central Vietnam. Besides that, scenario analysis is applied with a view to proposing the development pathways of the timber value chains and to providing improved information for developing the plantation policy in Vietnam at large. The empirical analysis employs a case study research design to examine the transition towards higher value uses of timber resources, thereby exploring the performance of woodchip, non-FSC furniture and FSC-certified furniture value chains in Thua Thien Hue province. Furthermore, two production areas named Nam Dong and Phu Loc districts are selected as embedded cases to examine the rural development potentials of Acacia hybrid timber production and commercialization. A mix-method approach, including both qualitative such as review and analysis of secondary data and key informant interviews, and quantitative data collection methods such as producer household surveys are applied to gather primary and secondary data. Diverse qualitative and quantitative analyses including content analysis, value chain analysis, livelihood analysis, and scenario analysis are also utilized corresponding to the specific research objectives. The macro-level analysis reveals the strategic responses of Asian wood-based firms to the global economy, particularly in terms of geographical scope, governance, cooperation, and overall performance. In addition, a literature review points out the potential impacts of Asian timber VCs on the environment and livelihoods. While timber product commercialization generates benefits to the value chain actors, unsustainable forest management leads to diverse negative environmental effects. The findings demonstrate considerable knowledge gaps and call for broader geographic coverage, as well as more transparent and quantitative assessments. To deepen the understanding on timber VCs, further research efforts should scrutinize the origins, functions, operations, and interactions of firms in these chains, and incorporate environmental and social aspects. The meso- and micro-level analysis exposes the structure of Acacia hybrid timber value chains which are shaped by various socio-economic, political, and environmental conditions. All three analyzed timber value chains are buyer-driven, led by processing and exporting companies in the downstream node of chains. At the upstream node, small-scale timber producers are normally less organized and lack market access. Timber production and commercialization provide profitable business activities to timber producers, traders, and processing and exporting companies. From a chain perspective, the woodchip value chain is financially profitable. However, its contribution to the national economy is the least. In contrast, the FSC-certified furniture value chain contributes fundamentally to economic development. The micro-level analysis indicates the difference regarding the socio-economic features, resource access, and management of producer households between the two analyzed districts. Relevant findings also indicate the importance of Acacia hybrid woodlots in the current livelihood system. However, more wealthy households benefit more from the Acacia hybrid timber income, especially in a well-developed market. Timber production and commercialization contribute to rural poverty reduction. Nevertheless, it is the main driver of the overall income inequality in both districts. Results from the literature review and empirical study support to conceptualize and evaluate the three development scenarios, displaying different levels of forest transition interventions and reactions of key actors in the chains. Under the current situation, a fast transition model with strict plantation control is not advisable for timber value chains’ stakeholders, especially those who operate on the ground. A slow transition scenario with a co-management model, instead, serves as a suitable development pathway. To improve the current management system, this study implies five management strategies, including (i) adaptive management; (ii) multi-stakeholder cooperation; (iii) target interventions; (iv) collaborative management and (v) integrated planning. The study can be of interest for further policy interventions focusing on sustainable reforestation and livelihood development in Vietnam. The approach of transition towards high added value products can further be applied in other comparable contextual cases searching for sustainable utilization of timber and forest-based products at large. Theoretically, the thesis highlights that sustainable management of forest-based products will not be obtained unless the related economic, social, and environmental aspects are considered in conjunction. These conditions are driven by several factors, such as national policy frame and market condition. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the interrelations within the economic-socio-ecological system to achieve long-term development targets. / Die Forstwirtschaft und der holzverarbeitende Sektor leisten einen wachsenden Beitrag zur nationalen und ländlichen Wirtschaftsentwicklung. Baumplantagen dienen Tausenden von kleinen Holzproduzentenhaushalten in vielen tropischen Ländern als Geschäftsmöglichkeit, um ihren Lebensunterhalt zu sichern. Da die Waldflächen und die darauf gestützte Holzproduktion begrenzt sind, ist eine nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung der waldbasierten Ressourcen, einschließlich Holz, erforderlich. Diese Studie untersucht die Wertschöpfungsketten und die Auswirkungen von kommerziellem Akazien-Hybridholz auf den Lebensunterhalt der ländlichen Bevölkerung in Zentralvietnam durch Integration von Wertschöpfungsketten- und Lebensunterhaltsanalysen. Außerdem wird eine Szenarioanalyse durchgeführt, um Entwicklungswege für die Holzwertschöpfungsketten vorzuschlagen und bessere Informationen für die Entwicklung der Plantagenpolitik in Vietnam insgesamt bereitzustellen. Die empirische Analyse verwendet ein Fallstudien-Forschungsdesign, um den Übergang zu höherwertigen Nutzungen von Holzressourcen zu untersuchen und dabei die Leistung von Wertschöpfungsketten für Hackschnitzel, nicht FSC-zertifizierte Möbel und FSC-zertifizierte Möbel in der Provinz Thua Thien Hue zu analysieren. Darüber hinaus werden zwei Produktionsgebiete, die Distrikte Nam Dong und Phu Loc, als Fallbeispiele ausgewählt, um die ländlichen Entwicklungspotenziale der Akazien-Hybridholzproduktion und -vermarktung zu untersuchen. Um Primär- und Sekundärdaten zu sammeln wird ein Methodenmix aus qualitativen Methoden, wie der Sichtung und Analyse von Sekundärdaten und der Befragung von Schlüsselinformanten, sowie quantitativen Datenerhebungsmethoden, wie der Befragung von Produzentenhaushalten, verwendet. Außerdem werden diverse qualitative und quantitative Analysen wie Inhaltsanalyse, Wertschöpfungskettenanalyse, Lebensunterhaltsanalyse und Szenarioanalyse entsprechend den spezifischen Forschungszielen eingesetzt. Die Analyse auf der Makroebene zeigt die strategischen Reaktionen der asiatischen Holzfirmen auf die globale Wirtschaft, insbesondere in Bezug auf geografische Reichweite, Governance, Kooperation und Gesamtleistung. Darüber hinaus zeigt eine Literaturübersicht die potenziellen Auswirkungen asiatischer Holzwertschöpfungsketten auf die Umwelt und die Lebensgrundlagen der lokalen Bevölkerung auf. Während die Kommerzialisierung von Holzprodukten Vorteile für die Akteure der Wertschöpfungskette mit sich bringt, führt eine nicht nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung zu diversen negativen Umwelteffekten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen erhebliche Wissenslücken auf und fordern eine breitere geografische Abdeckung sowie transparentere und quantitativere Bewertungen. Um das Verständnis von Holz-Wertschöpfungsketten zu vertiefen, sollten weitere Forschungsarbeiten die Ursprünge, Funktionen, Abläufe und Interaktionen von Unternehmen in diesen Ketten untersuchen und dabei ökologische und soziale Aspekte mit einbeziehen. Die Analyse auf der Meso- und Mikroebene legt die Struktur der Akazien-Hybridholz-Wertschöpfungsketten offen, welche von verschiedenen sozioökonomischen, politischen und ökologischen Bedingungen geprägt sind. Alle drei analysierten Holzwertschöpfungsketten sind käufergesteuert, angeführt von Verarbeitungs- und Exportunternehmen im nachgelagerten Knotenpunkt der Ketten. Am vorgelagerten Knotenpunkt sind die kleinen Holzproduzenten in der Regel weniger organisiert und haben keinen Marktzugang. Die Holzproduktion und -vermarktung bieten profitable Geschäftsaktivitäten für Holzproduzenten, Händler sowie Verarbeitungs- und Exportunternehmen. Aus der Kettenperspektive ist die Wertschöpfungskette Hackschnitzel finanziell profitabel. Ihr Beitrag zur Volkswirtschaft ist jedoch der geringste. Im Gegensatz dazu trägt die FSC-zertifizierte Möbel-Wertschöpfungskette grundlegend zur wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung bei. Die Analyse auf der Mikroebene zeigt die Unterschiede zwischen den beiden analysierten Distrikten in Bezug auf die sozioökonomischen Merkmale, den Ressourcenzugang und das Management der Produzentenhaushalte. Relevante Ergebnisse weisen auch auf die Bedeutung von Akazien-Hybridholzplantagen im derzeitigen Lebensunterhaltssystem hin. Allerdings profitieren wohlhabendere Haushalte mehr von den Einnahmen durch Akazien-Hybridholz, insbesondere bei einem gut entwickelten Markt. Holzproduktion und Kommerzialisierung tragen zur ländlichen Armutsbekämpfung bei, dennoch ist sie der ausschlaggebende Kraft für die allgemeine Einkommensungleichheit in beiden Distrikten. Die Ergebnisse der Literaturrecherche und der empirischen Studie helfen dabei, die drei Entwicklungsszenarien zu konzipieren und zu bewerten, die unterschiedliche Ebenen der Waldumwandlungsmaßnahmen und Reaktionen der Hauptakteure in den Ketten darstellen. In der aktuellen Situation ist ein schnelles Übergangsmodell mit strikter Kontrolle der Plantagen für die Akteure der Holzwertschöpfungsketten nicht ratsam, insbesondere für diejenigen, die vor Ort tätig sind. Ein langsames Übergangsszenario mit einem Co-Management-Modell dient stattdessen als geeigneter Entwicklungspfad. Um das derzeitige Managementsystem zu verbessern, schlägt diese Studie fünf Managementstrategien vor, darunter (i) adaptives Management, (ii) Zusammenarbeit mehrerer Interessengruppen, (iii) gezielte Interventionen, (iv) kooperatives Management und (v) integrierte Planung. Die Studie kann für weitere politische Interventionen von Interesse sein, welche sich auf eine nachhaltige Wiederaufforstung und die Entwicklung der Lebensgrundlagen in Vietnam konzentrieren. Der Ansatz des Übergangs zu Produkten mit hoher Wertschöpfung kann auch in anderen vergleichbaren Fällen angewandt werden, in denen eine nachhaltige Nutzung von Holz- und Forstprodukten im Allgemeinen angestrebt wird. Theoretisch unterstreicht die Arbeit, dass eine nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung von Forstprodukten nur dann erreicht werden kann, wenn die damit verbundenen wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und ökologischen Aspekte in Verbindung betrachtet werden. Diese Bedingungen werden von verschiedenen Faktoren beeinflusst, wie z.B. dem nationalen politischen Rahmen und den Marktbedingungen. Daher ist es entscheidend, die Zusammenhänge innerhalb des ökonomisch-sozio-ökologischen Systems zu verstehen, um langfristige Entwicklungsziele zu erreichen.