CIFOR–ICRAF publishes over 750 publications every year on agroforestry, forests and climate change, landscape restoration, rights, forest policy and much more – in multiple languages.

CIFOR–ICRAF addresses local challenges and opportunities while providing solutions to global problems for forests, landscapes, people and the planet.

We deliver actionable evidence and solutions to transform how land is used and how food is produced: conserving and restoring ecosystems, responding to the global climate, malnutrition, biodiversity and desertification crises. In short, improving people’s lives.

Forests, Livelihoods, and Conservation: Broadening the Empirical Base

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More than 10,000 years after the Agricultural Revolution started, millions of rural smallholders across the developing world may still derive as much income from foraging forests and wildlands as from cultivating crops. These steady environmental income flows come often from public forests, and are extracted by men and women alike. However, inflexible supplies from nature, the physical hardship of harvesting, and commonly low returns limit their role as safety nets and pathways out of poverty. While their harvesting does not preclude the ongoing conversion of wildlands to agriculture, privileged access to high-quality environmental resources can become a strong local conservation motive.
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.03.007
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    Publication year

    2014

    Authors

    Wunder, S.; Angelsen, A.; Belcher, B.

    Language

    English

    Keywords

    poverty, smallholders, income, environment, livelihoods, forests, conservation

    Funders

    Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

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