Gender, Species Priorities, and Domestication in South and Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Tree domestication includes any activities that brings trees into wider cultivation to provide people food, building material, medicine, other tree products, or income from the sales of tree products. It may also positively influence the conservation of endangered species or the provision of environmental services. Research on tree domestication is not merely focused on integrating trees on to farm or community land, but also most consider socio-cultural-economic factors and institutional aspects that influenced the domestication process. Gender is an important factor in tree domestication that has not been sufficiently researched to date. Women and men have different set of knowledge, experiences, and strategies in addressing tree propagation, management, utilization and marketing. This study investigated gender roles on selecting priority species and its domestication of economically important species in South and Southeast Sulawesi. Women are keen to domesticate vegetables and other annual crops that contribute directly to household food security and nutrition. Women focus those domestication activities on land near the home. Men and women give priority to tree species with high economic value; the management of those species is a priority for men but shared by women. Identifying gender roles and knowledge related to tree domestication is important in the planning program on tree-based livelihood enhancement and sustain able environmental management. The discussion will arrive on the issues how the domestication by including women has positive impact on women empowerment but in some cases will lead to burden