The principal aim of the study was to investigate the extent and under which conditions does local-level trade in Adansonia digitata, Ziziphus spina-christi and Balanites aegyptiaca fruits contribute to rural development- poverty alleviation- in Rashad of Nuba Mountains, Sudan. Purposive sampling technique was applied to select the 221 household collectors and 62 household traders in 2008/2009. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through several methods including interviews, household survey, market surveys, direct observations, and through literature review. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the production-to-consumption system (PCS) of the three products and to assess their contribution to household income and expenditure. The results indicate that the contribution to total household‟s income was 51%, 42% and 26% for A. digitata, Z. spina-christi and B. aegyptiaca fruits, respectively. The A. digitata fruits case study represents accumulative and subsistence livelihood strategies; while Z. spina-christi and B. aegyptiaca fruits case studies represent a subsistence livelihood strategy for the households. The results also show that the financial returns from local-level trade in the selected NTFPs were negatively affected by different factors related to products markets, base resource, participants‟ attributes, and the political environment under which the products are traded. The study concluded that any assumption regarding the potential of the NTFPs case studies to affect rural development positively depends on the role of the product in financial capital creation and the related accumulative strategy. Thus, attention paid to not assume that all NTFPs have a potential for rural development- push people out of poverty. To promote the local-level trade in the studied NTFPs and influence future direction of their financial returns toward accumulative strategy, interventions and supports (e.g. access to microfinance, capacity building and organization of the actors, market information and resource management) are important. / Das Hauptziel der Studie bestand darin zu untersuchen, in welchem Maße und unter welchen Bedingungen der Handel mit Früchten von Adansonia digitata, Ziziphus spina-christi und Balanites aegyptiaca zur Armutsbekämpfung in Rashad im Gebirge Nuba Mountains, Sudan beiträgt. Das zielgerichtete Probenahmeverfahren wurde eingesetzt, um 221 Sammler und 62 Händler von Haushalten im Zeitraum 2008/2009 auszuwählen. Quantitative und qualitative Daten wurden durch mehrere Methoden erhoben, die Interviews, Haushaltserhebungen, direkte Beobachtungen sowie Literaturanalysen umfassen. Sowohl quantitative als auch qualitative Methoden kamen zum Einsatz, um das System von der Produktion zur Konsumption der drei Produkte zu analysieren und deren Beitrag zu den Einnahmen und Ausgaben der Haushalte zu beurteilen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Beitrag zum Haushaltsgesamteinkommen 51%, 42% bzw. 26% für A. digitata, Z. spina-christi bzw. B. aegyptiaca Früchte betrug. Die A. digitata Früchte-Fallstudie zeigt akkumulations- und eigenbedarfsorientierte Lebensunterhalts- und Erwerbsstrategien; während die Fallstudien zu den Früchten von Z. spina-christi und B. aegyptiaca eine Eigenbedarfs-Lebensunterhaltsstrategie für die Haushalte darstellen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen auch, dass die finanzielle Rendite vom Handel auf lokaler Ebene mit ausgewählten NTFP„s (Nichtholzprodukten) durch verschiedene Faktoren negativ beeinflusst wurde, die in Beziehung stehen mit den Märkten für die Erzeugnisse, mit der Ressource Baum, den Einstellungen der Teilnehmer und dem politischen Umfeld, in welchem die Produkte gehandelt wurden. Die Untersuchung legt den Schluss nahe, dass jede Annahme bezüglich des Potentials von NTFP-Fallstudien, die ländliche Entwicklung positiv zu beeinflussen, von der Rolle des Produkts bei der Bildung von Finanzkapital und der damit in Beziehung stehenden akkumulativen Strategie abhängig ist. Somit wird die Aufmerksamkeit darauf gelenkt, dass nicht angenommen werden kann, dass alle NTFP„s ein Potenzial für die ländliche Entwicklung haben, und somit die Menschen aus der Armut herausführen. Den Handel der untersuchten NTFP‟s auf lokaler Ebene zu fördern, und die künftige Richtung des finanziellen Gewinns hinsichtlich akkumulativer Strategie, Interventionen und Hilfeleistungen (z.B. Zugang zu Mikrofinanzen, Kapazitätsaufbau und Organisation von Akteuren, Marktinformationen und Ressourcenmanagement) zu beeinflussen, ist bedeutsam.

Historicamente, a produção agropecuária na Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Xingu esteve voltada aos grandes mercados. Nas últimas décadas, observa-se uma importante mudança no uso da terra, dada pela expansão do cultivo de grãos para exportação (como soja e milho) em detrimento das áreas de pastagens. A transição do modo de produção na região atinge inclusive os pequenos produtores e assentados rurais, a despeito da limitação de terras para a produção em grande escala e de sua vulnerabilidade socioeconômica. Especial atenção é dada aos assentados rurais devido às peculiaridades relacionadas à ocupação territorial, as quais acabam por diferenciar a dinâmica de uso da terra, o que afeta, sobretudo, os seus modos de vida. Diante desta problemática, este estudo objetiva identificar as diferentes variáveis que contribuem para o atual contexto de mudança no uso da terra em um assentamento rural localizado no município de Água Boa (MT) e como este fenômeno se relaciona com a manutenção ou não dos modos de vida dos assentados. Os dados foram coletados a partir de entrevistas abertas, não estruturadas e em profundidade em quarenta domicílios rurais. Resultados mostram que a mudança no uso da terra pela expansão do cultivo de grãos ocorre no assentamento da mesma forma que o observado na paisagem da região do Alto Xingu. A mudança do uso da terra no P.A. Jaraguá está vinculada a uma tentativa de superar limitações produtivas, como pastagens degradadas, dificuldades de acesso à água e a capital financeiro para investimentos na produção agropecuária. Como consequência, a área destinada ao cultivo de grãos tem substituído as pastagens e o arrendamento e a comercialização de lotes rurais têm sido estimulados para que este novo modo de produção seja viabilizado, pelo menos em curto prazo. Assim, a expansão da agricultura intensiva de grãos e os efeitos do aumento generalizado dos preços das terras agricultáveis são importantes drivers na tomada de decisão dos assentados sobre o uso da terra. Os resultados apontam que esse contexto é estruturado por (ao mesmo tempo em que também estrutura) novos modos de vida no assentamento, caracterizados por fenômenos socioeconômicos como o envelhecimento rural, a maior participação da aposentadoria e da prestação de serviços (agropecuários ou não, formais ou informais) na geração de renda família e o êxodo rural. / Historically, agricultural production in the basin of the Upper Xingu has been geared to large markets. In recent decades, there has been a major change in land use, given the expansion of grain crops export (such as soybeans and corn) to the detriment of pasture areas. The transition of mode of production in the region can even reach small farmers and rural settlers, despite land limitation for large-scale production and smallholders producers\' vulnerability. In this study, particular attention is given to rural settlers due to the peculiarities related to land occupation, which eventually differentiates the dynamics of land use, affecting substantially their way of life. Faced with this problem, this study aims to identify the different variables that contribute to the current context of change in land use in a rural settlement located in the municipality of Água Boa (MT) and how this phenomenon is related to the maintenance or not of settlers\' livelihood strategies. Data were collected from unstructured in-depth interviews in forty rural households. Results show that the change in land use for the expansion of grain cultivation occurs in the settlement the same way as observed in the landscape of the Upper Xingu region. The change in land use in P.A. Jaraguá might be related to an attempt to overcome production constraints such as degraded pastures, problems with water access and financial investments in agricultural production. As a result, pastures have been replaced by areas devoted to grain crops. Moreover, the lease and sale of rural lots have been stimulated in order to make this new mode of production possible, at least, in the short term. Thus, the expansion of intensive grain cultivation and the effects of increasing general prices of agricultural land are important drivers in the settlers\' decision making on land use. The results show that while this context structures new livelihood strategies in the settlement, it has also been structured by them. In addition, such context has been characterized by some socioeconomic phenomena such as rural aging, larger rates of retirement, rural exodus, and the provision of services in the generation of family income , whether it be agricultural or not, formal or informal.

Savanna woodlands are vitally important in providing ecological services (e.g. erosion protection, micro-climate) and economic services (e.g. timber, food, fodder non-wood products, and wild-life habitats) that sustain local livelihoods and national economies. Increasing demands and the need for sustainable savanna woodland resource management requires that the ecological, economic, social and cultural values of these resources be explored and brought to the attention of decision makers and the general public. The identification and better understanding of the structure and dynamics of woodland community types, patterns of species distribution and quantitative properties of their diversity is important to the conservation and sustainable management of these woodlands. This study seeks to contribute to a better understanding of Nakasongola woodland community types, species diversity patterns and environment correlates, natural regeneration processes (i.e. sprouting and seedling establishment) and identifying livelihood strategies adopted by households, woody species utilised, and the contribution of charcoal production to household livelihoods. Data on vegetation and environmental variables were collected using 75 rectangular 20 x 50 m (0.1 ha) plots. Data on land use and land cover changes, and relevant associated socio-economic parameters were collected through the analysis of multi-temporal satellite imagery and field observations, as well as interviews of local households and key informants. The basic major livelihood activities for the rural households in this savanna dryland are charcoal production, subsistence crop cultivation and livestock grazing. However, it, sometimes, includes various combinations of activities, i.e. charcoal production and subsistence crop cultivation for both food and cash, and livestock keeping for income generation through selling the livestock products such as milk and, sometimes, the whole animal. At least 24 woody species, including fruit trees (Mangifera indica and Artocarpus heterophyllus), are frequently harvested, including 16 species that are considered the most utilized for charcoal production. Charcoal production, being the major source of income to the rural households, contributes on average US$ 259 ± 46 (S.E.) per household annually. There were significant differences in charcoal production (Kruskal-Wallis; H = 31.42, p < 0.0001), producer sale prices per bag of charcoal (H = 35.62, p < 0.0001), and annual incomes from charcoal production (H = 32.44, p < 0.0001) per households across the 8 sub-counties. Most of the youth (≤ 20 years old) derive their livelihoods from charcoal production, a small amount of trade, offering labour services, livestock keeping, fishing, bee keeping and earth brick making. Charcoal production, livestock keeping and hunting are carried out particularly by men, whereas, crop cultivation, and collection of fire wood, medicinal plants and fruits are carried out, mainly, by women. However, men are also engaged in cultivation only during the rainy seasons. There have been significant land cover changes in the area during the period 1984 to 2001, resulting in a 64% decrease in dense woodland cover, and an 80% increase in areas under cultivation/settlements. These changes are attributed to significant spatial expansion in agriculture increased commercialisation of charcoal production, grazing and human population growth. A total of 44,195 (5,893 plants/ha) woody plants representing 99 species in 67 genera and 31 families were recorded. The most species rich families were Mimosaceae (13), Rubiaceae (9), Moraceae (7), Euphorbiaceae (7), Anacardiaceae (6), Combretaceae (5) and Verbenaceae (5). Density of woody species differed significantly (F2, 72 = 6.3, P < 0.003) among land uses, being higher under charcoal production (7,131 ± 755 plants/ha) and cultivation (6,612 ± 665) areas and significantly lower under grazing lands (4,152 ± 525). Community species composition differed significantly (Global RANOSIM = 0.14, p = 0.001) among land use types. All measures of beta-diversity (spatial “turnover” in species composition) showed consistently higher beta-diversity in the grazing land use (βW = 3.1; βT = 3.1), followed by cultivation (βW = 2.8; βT = 3.0) and charcoal production (βW = 2.7; βT = 2.8), suggesting a more heterogeneous spatial distribution of species in the grazing lands. This suggests that variations in the composition and diversity of woody species are to a great extent influenced by land use type and anthropogenic disturbances in this region. Basal area of woody species differed significantly (F2, 72 = 12.0, P < 0.0001) among land uses, being highest under cultivation and charcoal production and significantly lower under grazing. Woody plant density differed (F2,72 = 6.3, P = 0.003) across landuses, being highest under charcoal production and cultivation and significantly lower under grazing. The species that contributed most to both basal area and density across all the land uses were Combretum collinum and Combretum molle. However, different species contributed the next most i.e. Piliostigma thonningii for grazing; Albizia zygia and Harrisonia abyssinica for cultivation and Vepris nobilis for charcoal production areas. For both basal area and abundance of all woody species, the total variance in species-environmental factor relations (for the combined first four canonical axes) was higher than 50%, suggesting a relatively strong influence of the measured environment variables on species composition and distributions. The CCA points to a significant influence of soil Ca2+ and Mg2+ in association with grazing on gradients in the composition and structure of woody species in the savanna woodland of Nakasongola. Resprouting was generally common among the woody species. A total of 2,595 stumps, representing 74 species in 31 families were recorded from all plots. Of these, 98.3% resprouted and were identified to species level. Density of both stumps and total resprout differed significantly (p < 0.05) among the land uses, being higher in charcoal production areas than in grazing and cultivation land uses. For the overall pooled data, resprouts per stump differed significantly among land uses (F2, 456 = 7.75, p = 0.0005), being highest in charcoal production (mean ± S.E.; 14 ± 1) and cultivation (13 ± 1) land uses and lowest under grazing areas (10 ± 1). Generally, the mean number of resprouts per stump increased with increasing stump basal diameter (BD), being highest for BD size class > 41 cm. In relation to stump height, the highest mean resprouts/stump was found on stumps with heights ranging from 0.31- 0.40 m. Based on pooled species data, regression analyses showed weakly significant negative relationships between BD of leading resprouts and number of resprouts/stump (r2 = 0.123, p < 0.0001) and between height of leading resprouts and number of resprouts/stump (r2 = 0.068, p < 0.0001). Density of seedlings of woody species differed significantly among land use types (ANOVA; F2, 72 =5.9, p = 0.004), being highest for cultivation (3,162 ± 440 individuals ha-1), followed by charcoal production (2,416 ± 295 ha-1) and lowest for grazing (1,629 ± 205 ha-1). Composition of seedlings differed significantly among land use types (Global RANOSIM = 0.119, p = 0.001). The distributions and densities of some seedlings were explained by gradients in environmental variables, with edaphic factors (i.e. Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and organic matter) and charcoal production being the most important. The first two axes of the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) explained 41.9% of the variance in species – environmental relations and were a reflection of edaphic and charcoal production land use gradients. All of the 16 highly utilized species were well represented in both the juvenile and adult classes, with gradually declining number of individuals with increasing stem size-class. This indicates that most of these species have high regeneration potential. Juvenile:adult tree ratios >1 and negative DSCD slopes indicate good recruitment and probably successful regeneration for these species. The study revealed land cover changes mainly in the dense and medium dense woodlands, reflected by the increase in open woodland, grasslands and cultivation/settlements. These trends threaten the livelihoods of local communities who are entirely dependent on these natural resources. Sustainable management will require the establishment of suitable integrated community-based institutions and management practices, with support from all key stakeholders (i.e. National Forest Authority (NFA)) and local communities. Maintenance of savanna woodland resources and other ecosystem services essential for human well-being will require an effective legal framework to prevent over-exploitation and give incentives for the protection of the fragile savanna woodland vegetation. An appropriate savanna woodland management policy will be required to guide changes in land use that accommodate the requirements of land users, aided by targeted conservation efforts to all woody plants and particularly for the highly utilized species for charcoal production as well as the multipurpose species. In addition, there is urgent need to build local capacity for improved harvesting and utilization of these tree species. This can be achieved through equipping local users with up to date information as well as observing the existing skills.

The agricultural sector of Andean countries like Peru and Bolivia perceives the consequences of climate change in increasing water stress due to melting glaciers and changing precipitation patterns. Therefore mainly subsistence agricultural systems are increasingly vulnerable. Traditional inhabitants of the tropical Andean region are aware of the recurrent diversity of climate related impacts and its consequences, thus livelihood strategies are based on principles of risk management. Andean farmers are nowadays applying traditional strategies in a combination of homegrown experimentation and scientific know-how to cope with and adapt to a changing climate. Understanding these adaptations has become one of the most important aspects of research into climate change impacts and vulnerability. It provides essential knowledge for developing and transferring strategies towards a sustainable management in agriculture and agroforestry systems. But there still is a lack of a comparative assessment, especially in regions with high impact of extreme climate conditions. The endogenously determined strategies, which are based on the experience of the farmers, are to be complemented by knowledge and experiences coming from outside farm-household systems and communities. In a collaborative way, this exogenous knowledge is to be placed at the disposal of local actors. The necessary network approach leads to a comprehensive involvement of local stakeholders. Therefore a participative network on climate change may work as a tool to bridge the gap between the global discourse on climate change and local action.

Research on livelihoods has been conducted across various fields but there has been less focus upon detection and analyzing of the interconnected relationships between space and livelihoods. This study investigates these relationships from a place-specific point of view utilizing the Tibetan exile community in India as a case study. The qualitative method of semi-structured, in-depth interviews has been employed in order to gather primary data. Theoretically, this thesis draws it framework mainly from the human geography perspective on space and place combined with the conceptual Sustainable Livelihood framework.  This thesis argues that it is possible to distinguish four examples of reciprocal relationships between space and livelihoods in the places studied. These are spatial congregation into an ethnic enclave, the altering of place specific time-space relations which in turn alters livelihood possibilities over time, migration and spatial dispersion of livelihoods. These results are case specific and not generalizable. / Forskning kring försörjningsmöjligheter har utförts inom en rad vetenskapliga fält men få har fokuserat på att finna och analysera ömsesidiga relationer mellan space och försörjningsstrategier. Denna studie undersöker dessa relationer med en plats-specifik utgångspunkt och använder det tibetanska exilsamhället i Indien som fallstudie. Den kvalitativa metoden semi-strukturerade djupintervjuer har använts för att samla in primärdata. Uppsatsen drar sitt teoretiska ramverk från det samhällsgeografiska perspektiven på space och place i kombination med det konceptuella ramverket Sustainable Livelihood framework.  Uppsatsen menar att det är möjligt att särskilja fyra exempel på de ömsesidiga relationerna mellan space och försörjningsstrategier. Dessa är rumslig ansamling i en etniska enklav,  förändringar i platsspecifika tid-rum relationer vilket påverkar försörjningsmöjligheter över tid, migration och rumslig spridning av försörjning. Dessa resultat anses vara fallspecifika och därför inte möjliga att generalisera.

Local perceptions and livelihood strategies have in this study been examined through extensive fieldwork in two villages in rural Pondoland in the former homeland Transkei in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. Using a bottom-up perspective, changes in livelihoods and the processes involved in choosing between and combining various types of livelihood activities are analysed. The study also looks at specific South African policies, targeted at poverty relief and restriction of natural resource use, from the local perspective and points at communication problems between the national and local levels. Livelihoods in Transkei are today often conceptualised as consisting of subsistence agriculture combined with monetary incomes in the forms of state pensions and remittances from migrant labourers. This view is challenged by the results of the present study, showing that local jobs are the major components of livelihoods in the studied villages. Informal jobs are stressed as constituting an important, and perhaps previously underestimated, part of local job opportunities. While pensions also do make important contributions to livelihoods, the significance of agriculture, livestock keeping and various forms of natural resource use is shown to be relatively low. Key insights are that livelihood activities in rural Transkei vary a lot between specific localities, and that important recent changes in livelihoods have taken place. Transkei is furthermore often conceptualised as a region where severe environmental degradation is taking place, a fact that is also contradicted by findings from the study area. In accordance with recent research on an ‘African degradation narrative’, the hopeless and homogenous picture of Transkei as a generally degraded region is questioned. These results are also used to critically examine concepts such as ‘multiple livelihood strategies’ and the tendency to generalise about rural livelihoods across regions, countries or even continents. / Lokala uppfattningar och försörjningsstrategier har i denna studie undersökts genom långvarigt fältarbete och omfattande intervjuer med lokalbefolkningen i två byar i den rurala kustregionen i Pondoland, i Sydafrikas f.d. ‘homeland’ Transkei (idag Östra Kapprovinsen). Under apartheidtiden tvingades Sydafrikas befolkning av afrikanskt ursprung i hög utsträckning att bo i dessa s.k. homelands, vilket anses ha lett till både fattigdom och omfattande miljöförstöring i dessa områden. Transkei konceptualiseras idag därför ofta som ett problemområde, där befolkningen överlever på småskaligt jordbruk, nyttjande av, statliga bidrag och pengar från släktingar som jobbar i storstäder. Denna studie ifrågasätter upprätthållandet av en sådan bild av Transkei, genom att peka på att majoriteten av hushållen i fältområdet idag har lokala jobb. I detta sammanhang har informella jobb en viktig och troligtvis tidigare underskattad roll. Studien pekar också på att försörjningsstrategier är föränderliga och att det finns stora skillnader mellan olika lokaliteter med avseende på olika försörjningsmöjligheter. Många studier i Afrika har på senare tid ifrågasatt antaganden om att olika regioner är generellt degraderade, och visat på att detta ofta kan vara ett narrativ som av olika skäl upprätthålls utan att närmare granskas. Denna studie visar däremot på att miljön i fältområdet inte är generellt degraderad och att lokalbefolkningen inte överutnyttjar naturresurserna. Därmed bidrar studien till att nyansera en ibland alltför homogen och hopplös bild av Transkei som region. Studien granskar också specifika Sydafrikanska policies för naturvård och fattigdomsbekämpning utifrån lokalbefolkningens perspektiv och visar på problematiska kommunikationsbrister mellan nationell och lokal nivå.

The principal aim of the study was to investigate the extent and under which conditions does local-level trade in Adansonia digitata, Ziziphus spina-christi and Balanites aegyptiaca fruits contribute to rural development- poverty alleviation- in Rashad of Nuba Mountains, Sudan. Purposive sampling technique was applied to select the 221 household collectors and 62 household traders in 2008/2009. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through several methods including interviews, household survey, market surveys, direct observations, and through literature review. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the production-to-consumption system (PCS) of the three products and to assess their contribution to household income and expenditure. The results indicate that the contribution to total household‟s income was 51%, 42% and 26% for A. digitata, Z. spina-christi and B. aegyptiaca fruits, respectively. The A. digitata fruits case study represents accumulative and subsistence livelihood strategies; while Z. spina-christi and B. aegyptiaca fruits case studies represent a subsistence livelihood strategy for the households. The results also show that the financial returns from local-level trade in the selected NTFPs were negatively affected by different factors related to products markets, base resource, participants‟ attributes, and the political environment under which the products are traded. The study concluded that any assumption regarding the potential of the NTFPs case studies to affect rural development positively depends on the role of the product in financial capital creation and the related accumulative strategy. Thus, attention paid to not assume that all NTFPs have a potential for rural development- push people out of poverty. To promote the local-level trade in the studied NTFPs and influence future direction of their financial returns toward accumulative strategy, interventions and supports (e.g. access to microfinance, capacity building and organization of the actors, market information and resource management) are important. / Das Hauptziel der Studie bestand darin zu untersuchen, in welchem Maße und unter welchen Bedingungen der Handel mit Früchten von Adansonia digitata, Ziziphus spina-christi und Balanites aegyptiaca zur Armutsbekämpfung in Rashad im Gebirge Nuba Mountains, Sudan beiträgt. Das zielgerichtete Probenahmeverfahren wurde eingesetzt, um 221 Sammler und 62 Händler von Haushalten im Zeitraum 2008/2009 auszuwählen. Quantitative und qualitative Daten wurden durch mehrere Methoden erhoben, die Interviews, Haushaltserhebungen, direkte Beobachtungen sowie Literaturanalysen umfassen. Sowohl quantitative als auch qualitative Methoden kamen zum Einsatz, um das System von der Produktion zur Konsumption der drei Produkte zu analysieren und deren Beitrag zu den Einnahmen und Ausgaben der Haushalte zu beurteilen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Beitrag zum Haushaltsgesamteinkommen 51%, 42% bzw. 26% für A. digitata, Z. spina-christi bzw. B. aegyptiaca Früchte betrug. Die A. digitata Früchte-Fallstudie zeigt akkumulations- und eigenbedarfsorientierte Lebensunterhalts- und Erwerbsstrategien; während die Fallstudien zu den Früchten von Z. spina-christi und B. aegyptiaca eine Eigenbedarfs-Lebensunterhaltsstrategie für die Haushalte darstellen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen auch, dass die finanzielle Rendite vom Handel auf lokaler Ebene mit ausgewählten NTFP„s (Nichtholzprodukten) durch verschiedene Faktoren negativ beeinflusst wurde, die in Beziehung stehen mit den Märkten für die Erzeugnisse, mit der Ressource Baum, den Einstellungen der Teilnehmer und dem politischen Umfeld, in welchem die Produkte gehandelt wurden. Die Untersuchung legt den Schluss nahe, dass jede Annahme bezüglich des Potentials von NTFP-Fallstudien, die ländliche Entwicklung positiv zu beeinflussen, von der Rolle des Produkts bei der Bildung von Finanzkapital und der damit in Beziehung stehenden akkumulativen Strategie abhängig ist. Somit wird die Aufmerksamkeit darauf gelenkt, dass nicht angenommen werden kann, dass alle NTFP„s ein Potenzial für die ländliche Entwicklung haben, und somit die Menschen aus der Armut herausführen. Den Handel der untersuchten NTFP‟s auf lokaler Ebene zu fördern, und die künftige Richtung des finanziellen Gewinns hinsichtlich akkumulativer Strategie, Interventionen und Hilfeleistungen (z.B. Zugang zu Mikrofinanzen, Kapazitätsaufbau und Organisation von Akteuren, Marktinformationen und Ressourcenmanagement) zu beeinflussen, ist bedeutsam.

The agricultural sector of Andean countries like Peru and Bolivia perceives the consequences of climate change in increasing water stress due to melting glaciers and changing precipitation patterns. Therefore mainly subsistence agricultural systems are increasingly vulnerable. Traditional inhabitants of the tropical Andean region are aware of the recurrent diversity of climate related impacts and its consequences, thus livelihood strategies are based on principles of risk management. Andean farmers are nowadays applying traditional strategies in a combination of homegrown experimentation and scientific know-how to cope with and adapt to a changing climate. Understanding these adaptations has become one of the most important aspects of research into climate change impacts and vulnerability. It provides essential knowledge for developing and transferring strategies towards a sustainable management in agriculture and agroforestry systems. But there still is a lack of a comparative assessment, especially in regions with high impact of extreme climate conditions. The endogenously determined strategies, which are based on the experience of the farmers, are to be complemented by knowledge and experiences coming from outside farm-household systems and communities. In a collaborative way, this exogenous knowledge is to be placed at the disposal of local actors. The necessary network approach leads to a comprehensive involvement of local stakeholders. Therefore a participative network on climate change may work as a tool to bridge the gap between the global discourse on climate change and local action.

Dieses Buch gibt durch eine Zusammenstellung von Interviews Einblicke in die Erzählungen von Menschen, die als Binnenmigranten in die afghanische Stadt Mazar-i Sharif gekommen sind. Mazar-i Sharif ist eine wichtige Metropole im Norden Afghanistans. Die Stadt ist ein wichtiges Handelszentrum. Es gibt dort mehrere private und staatliche Universitäten. Mazar-i Sharif wurde durch die vergleichsweise gute Sicherheitslage zur Zeit dieser Forschung Sitz vieler internationaler Organisationen und NGOs und war ein attraktives Reiseziel mit viele Restaurants, Hotels, Freizeit- und Sporteinrichtungen. Gleichzeitig ist Mazar-i Sharif der Anlaufpunkt für viele arme Binnenmigranten. Die Migration in die Stadt wird durch die schlechten wirtschaftlichen Perspektiven in den ländlichen Regionen Afghanistans aber auch durch die Flucht vor Gewalt, Bedrohung und Unsicherheit verursacht. Doch auch in der Stadt sind viele der meist armen Migranten mit prekären Lebensverhältnissen, Arbeitslosigkeit und Rechtsunsicherheit, Armut und fehlender Unterstützung konfrontiert. Vor diesem Hintergrund zeigen die in diesem Buch vereinten Interviews was die Menschen über ihre Umsiedlung in die Stadt erzählen und wie sie dies tun. Es wird herausgestellt, dass auch das Erzählen selbst eine wichtige Funktion hat und ein Teil der verschiedenen Lebenssicherungsstrategien der Menschen in diesem schwierigen Umfeld wird. / As a compilation of interviews this book provides insight into the narrations of internal migrants who have come to the Afghan city Mazar-e Sharif, a metropolis located in the north of the country. Mazar-e Sharif is an important commercial center with lively bazaars. It is home to both private and state universities and, due to a comparatively good security situation, Mazar-e Sharif became the seat of many international organizations and NGOs in the time of research. It was also an attractive travel destination with many restaurants, hotels, and recreational and athletic facilities. At the same time, it is a destination for large numbers of poor internal migrants and returning refugees. Migration to the city is provoked by poor economic prospects in many rural areas of Afghanistan which also suffer from violence, threats, and insecurity. Once they reach this city, however, many of the mostly poor migrants face precarious living conditions, unemployment and legal insecurity, poverty, and a lack of support. Against this background, the interviews in this book show what people say about their relocation to town and how they say it, emphasizing the important function of narrating as one of several livelihood strategies in difficult surroundings.

Ghana has experienced a remarkable degradation and depletion of its forest resources over the last 100 years. This process has undermined the socio-economic and socio-cultural importance of the forests for millions of rural people who depend on the resource to support their livelihood. Many rural households have over the past three decades developed strategies to minimize the effects of forest depletion on their livelihood. The establishment of smallholder forest plantation on agricultural land has emerged as an important form of land-use for households to diversify their sources of income and also improve their socio-economic well-being. The main objective of the study was to identify and analyze the endogenous and exogenous factors inducing farm household’s decision to establish farm forest plantation and to analyze its financial contribution to household’s income and livelihood strategies. The study involved a survey of 280 randomly selected farm households from five communities in the Offinso district in Ghana. The multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select as many as 165 households with farm forest plantation as well as 115 without farm forest plantation. A mixture of tools including semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, wealth ranking, forest inventory and market surveys were used to collect the required data. Results from logistic regression analysis revealed that the age of the household head, the number of years of education of the household head, the amount of household labor, the size of household landholding, the ownership of permanent land, the availability of non-agricultural land and household’s participation in past forest plantation development projects are the most important endogenous factors influencing the farm household’s decision to establish farm forest plantation. On the other hand, exogenous factors such as the availability of market and buyers for farm forest products and farm household’s satisfaction with market prices for farm forest products positively influenced the household’s decision to establish farm forest plantation. Prohibitive rules and regulations relating to the harvesting of trees and transportation of timber from private lands and uncertainty in tree tenure as a result of ambiguous policy framework, however, negatively influenced the decision to establish smallholder forest plantation on their agricultural land. The results from household income portfolio analysis show that cash income from selling farm forest products contributed an average of $273.6 to total household’s income in one agricultural season. This amount accounted for 17.6% of total household’s income and represented the second most important source of income after agriculture. The profitability of different land-uses practiced by the households was analyzed using a conventional economic method (Net Present Value). The results from a comparative financial analysis show that the establishment of teak plantation on agricultural land inter-cropped with food crops is the most profitable form of land use for the households compared to pure teak plantation and maize-plantain cultivation. The results of the study underscore the potential contribution of smallholder farm forest plantation to increase the overall household’s income and thereby improve household’s well-being. / Ghana hat während der letzten 100 Jahre eine bemerkenswerte Degradation und Verminderung seines Waldvorkommens erlebt. Dieser Prozess hat die sozio-ökonomische und sozial-kulturelle Bedeutung des Waldes als Einkommensquelle zur Unterstützung des Lebensunterhalts für Millionen ländlicher Einwohner geschwächt. Während der letzen 30 Jahre haben viele Kleinbauern Haushalte Strategien entwickelt um den Effekt, den die Verminderung des Waldvorkommens auf ihren Lebensunterhalt hat, zu minimieren. Die Anlage kleinflächiger Forstplantagen auf Ackerland hat sich dabei als wichtige Form der Landnutzung erwiesen, da sie eine Einkommensquelle zusätzlich zu den vorhandenen bedeuten. Sie haben das Potential, die sozio-ökonomiche Situation der Bevölkerung zu verbessern. Ziel der Studie war die Identifizierung von internen und externen Faktoren, die bedeutend zur Entscheidung von Haushalten über die Errichtung kleinflächiger Forstplantagen beitragen. Desweiteren sollten der finanzielle Beitrag der Forstplantagen zum Einkommen und zu Strategien der Kleinbauern analysiert werden. Für die Sudie werden Datensätze von 280 zufällig ausgewählten landwirtschaftlichen Haushalten aus fünf Gemeinden im Offinso Distrikt in Ghana erfasst. Die mehrstufig aufgebaute zufällige Auswahltechnik wurde benutzt, um die 165 Haushalte mit Forstplantagen und 115 Haushalten ohne Forstplantagen für die Studie auszuwählen. Mehrere Instrumente, wurden genutzt um die benötigten Daten zu sammeln darunter vor allem semi-strukturierte Befragungen, fokusierte Gruppendiskussionen, Wohlstandsranking der Haushalte und eine Forstinventur. Ergebnisse einer logistischen Regressionsanalyse ergaben, dass das Alter des Haushaltsvorstands, die Anzahl der Ausbildungsjahre des Haushaltsvorstands, die Anzahl der im Haushalt vorhandenen Arbeitskräfte, die Größe des dem Haushalt zur Verfügung stehenden Ackerlandes, das Eigentum an Ackerland, verfügbare nicht-landwirtschaftlich nutzbare Flächen und die Teilnahme der Haushalte an Projekten zur Forstplantagenentwicklung die wichtigsten internen Faktoren für die Entscheidung der Kleinbauern zur Errichtung von kleinflächiger Forstpantagen darstellen. Andererseits beeinflussten externe Faktoren wie das Vorhandensein von Markt und Käufern für Produkte der Forstplantagen und die Zufriedenheit der Haushalte mit den gebotenen Marktpreisen für diese Produkte die Entscheidung der Kleinbauern zur Errichtung von Forstplantagen positiv. Demgegenüber beeinflussten Verbote und einschränkende Regelungen zur Ernte und zum Transport von Bäumen auf Privatland und die Unsicherheit bezüglich des Eigentums an den Bäumen als Ergebniss unklarer politischer Vorgaben die Entscheidung zur Errichtung von kleinflächiger Forstplantagen auf Ackerland negativ. Das Ergebniss der Analyse verschiedene Haushaltseinkommensquellen zeigt, dass das Jahreseinkommen der Haushalte mit Forstplantagen höher ist als das der Haushalte ohne Forstplantagen. Der Beitrag zum Jahreseinkommen aus dem Verkauf von Produkten der kleinflächiger Forstplantagen betrug im Durchschnitt 273,6 USD in einer landwirtschaftlichen Saison. Dies entsprach 17,6 % des gesamten Haushaltseinkommens und stellte somit die zweitwichtigste Einkommensquelle nach der Landwirtschaft dar. Die Rentabilität der verschiedenen Landnutzungsarten wurde mit der Kapitalwertmethode (Net Present Value) ermittelt. Diese vergleichende Analyse zeigte, dass kleinflächiger Forstplantagen auf Agrarland bei gleichzeitigem Anbau von Nahrungsmittel die profitabelste Art der Landnutzung für die Haushalte im Vergeich zu ausschließlichem Teakanbau und zum Anbau von Mais mit Kochbanane ist. Die Ergebnisse der Studie unterstreichen das Potential kleinflächiger Forstplantagen, einen Beitrag zur Steigerung des gesamten Haushaltseinkommens und zur Verbesserung des Lebensstandards der Haushalte leisten zu können.