Household Livelihoods, Marketing And Resource Impacts: A Case Study Of Bark Products In Eastern Zimbabwe

IES Working Paper.Non-timber forest products are increasingly being commercialized by smallholder farmers and urban-based healers and vendors. In this paper we highlight institutional arrangements surrounding the harvesting and marketing of three tree species harvested for their bark: Adansonia digitata, Warburgia salutaris and Berchemia discolor. Bark from Berchemia discolor and Adansonia digitata is used for craft production. Bark from Warburgia salutaris is believed by many healers to treat a panacea of ailments and the tree is threatened with extinction in Zimbabwe. Increase in commercialization is linked to droughts, tourism, hard economic conditions prevailing in the country and poor access to formal health services. Some studies have also linked over-exploitation and commercialization to weakening state and traditional institutions. The studies therefore sought to investigate institutional arrangements and sustainability issues related to the three tree species in Zimbabwe. Local institutions were not effective in the sustainable management of the resources. There was little evidence of new institutional arrangements emerging around these particular resources, as a result of the changes in degree of commercialization. The bark resources were still largely communally owned and. there was no evidence of increasing domestication, except in the case of Warburgia, where there was a project promoting tree planting. Despite increasing commercialization and demand for these products there are few examples of sustainable harvesting. The evidence is that commercialization cannot be used to drive conservation agendas.Funding for the study was provided by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Agroforestry Southern Africa project and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) People and Plants Initiative

Socio-Economic Issues Related to Warburgia Salutaris: a Powerful Medicinal Plant in Zimbabwe.

There is a good potential to domesticate high value non-timber forest products. With the demise of Warbugia salutaris the opportunities for planting have arisen. However, medicinal plants are closely connected with the spiritual world and thus tree planting needs to be carefully implemented. African healers believe that Warburgia salutaris treats a plethora of ailments and the tree has a high commercial value on the informal herbal market. Warburgia is threatened with extinction in Zimbabwe. The collapse of traditional institutions during the last two decades, coupled by high demand for the bark on the informal herbal market, has contributed to the decline in the number of known Warburgia trees. Possibilities for increasing the tree’s population include appropriate institutional arrangements and planting. However, a danger with the planting of such a highly valued plant may be that the elite get access to the planted trees, as the poor and non-herbalist’s fail to get access to the seedlings Keywords: Warburgia salutaris, healers and collectors, vendors, uses, availability and decline, market trends and strategies, economic value, institutional arrangements, traditional leaders, tree planting

Socio-Economic Issues Related to Warburgia Salutaris: a Powerful Medicinal Plant in Zimbabwe.

An IES Working Paper on wildlife plants in Zimbabwe.There is a good potential to domesticate high value non-timber forest products. With the demise of Warbugia salutaris the opportunities for planting have arisen. However, medicinal plants are closely connected with the spiritual world and thus tree planting needs to be carefully implemented. African healers believe that Warburgia salutaris treats a plethora of ailments and the tree has a high commercial value on the informal herbal market. Warburgia is threatened with extinction in Zimbabwe. The collapse of traditional institutions during the last two decades, coupled by high demand for the bark on the informal herbal market, has contributed to the decline in the number of known Warburgia trees. Possibilities for increasing the tree’s population include appropriate institutional arrangements and planting. However, a danger with the planting of such a highly valued plant may be that the elite get access to the planted trees, as the poor and non-herbalist’s fail to get access to the seedlings Keywords: Warburgia salutaris, healers and collectors, vendors, uses, availability and decline, market trends and strategies, economic value, institutional arrangements, traditional leaders, tree planting.The WWF People and Plants Programme has supported a number of bark-related research activities in Zimbabwe, one of which is the study of institutions surrounding the use; of bark for various purposes (this publication)

Catalyzing collaborative monitoring processes in joint forest management situations: the Mafungautsi forest case, Zimbabwe

Recent forest management initiatives in developing countries emphasize active participation of local people. However, many such attempts have been unsuccessful because little attention was directed at promoting conscious and joint learning processes. One way to enhance joint learning is through collaborative monitoring (CM) and reflection processes. This article explores the contribution that collaborative monitoring processes make toward improving forest management within a context characterized by multiple stakeholders with often-conflicting interests. The Mafungautsi case has shown that initiating CM processes requires careful facilitation of negotiations related to the goals, approach, sharing of information; and development of platforms on which learning will take place. We conclude, based on evidence from Mafungautsi, that CM processes can contribute to improving forest management in multistakeholder landscapes if sufficient attention is paid in creating appropriate reflection and learning platforms

Catalyzing collaborative monitoring processes in joint forest management situations: The Mafungautsi forest case, Zimbabwe

Recent forest management initiatives in developing countries emphasize active participation of local people. However, many such attempts have been unsuccessful because little attention was directed at promoting conscious and joint learning processes. One way to enhance joint learning is through collaborative monitoring ( CM) and reflection processes. This article explores the contribution that collaborative monitoring processes make toward improving forest management within a context characterized by multiple stakeholders with often-conflicting interests. The Mafungautsi case has shown that initiating CM processes requires careful facilitation of negotiations related to the goals, approach, sharing of information; and development of platforms on which learning will take place. We conclude, based on evidence from Mafungautsi, that CM processes can contribute to improving forest management in multistakeholder landscapes if sufficient attention is paid in creating appropriate reflection and learning platforms