Economic valuation of consumptive nontimber forest products: Evidence from Rombo district using contingent valuation method

Over the past two decades there has been an increasingly appreciation andmeasurement of non-market value of NTFP in many parts of the world. This is motivated by the fact that many of these NTFP especially in the tropics are increasingly being degraded mainly because of their undervaluation due to the lack of proper market for them. In valuingNTFP economists have used both revealed and stated preference depending on whether the good/services being valued have market or do not have market value. In this study we estimate WTP for NTFP using contingent valuation method among rural residents adjacent to half mile strip in Rombo district. A total of 5 villages were sampled out of 20 villages adjacent to the half strip mile (the buffer zone). The results from the open ended question indicate that the mean willingness to pay for consumable NTFPs is TZS 6,460 per annum. In addition to that businessmen, wage earners and farmers are willing to pay TZS 7,080/=, TZS 6, 977/= and TZS6,197/= per annum respectively. The differences of willingness to pay among these groups however, are not statistically significant. Further econometric analysis using a probit model suggests that household’s income, distance to the forest, marriage, forest conservation, being a businessman and respondent being a wage earner explains households’ willingness to pay for NTFP.Key words: contingent valuation, Non-timber forest products, bootstrapping and willingness to pay

SMALL-SCALE PRODUCERS OF QUALITY PRODUCTS WITH POTENTIAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION PROTECTION IN TANZANIA

Geographical Indication (GI) adds value through product differentiation based on quality, protection of consumers through provision of certified information regarding product attributes and enhances and preserves the identity and cultural heritage of people in the region where a product is produced. Studies on potential GI products in Tanzania are yet to (be done) to show how producers may capture above mentioned benefits. This study analyses quality traits, factors and conditions with potential to increase value of Agricultural products in Tanzania through GI protection. The hypothesis is that origin products exist in Tanzania whose unique characteristics are linked to rather well-defined geographical areas of production. Three Tanzanian origin products were studied, and investigated as product cases: Rice from Kyela, Coffee from Kilimanjaro and Cloves from Zanzibar. Quantitative and qualitative case study analyses were done for each of the three selected Tanzanian origin products with plausible prospects for Tanzania to leapfrog into exports of Geographical Indications products. Findings shows the institutional structure of a country and how it may facilitate GI protection, the producer’s perception of being a member of a cooperatives in marketing their products, producer’s awareness of GI and the quality traits of their unique products. Finally, the paper provides policy options identifying opportunities for government in recognising unique origin products - whether agricultural or non-agricultural and the importance of potential GI´s to producers and exports options for the country

Marine protected areas in artisanal fisheries: a spatial bio-economic model based on observations in Costa Rica and Tanzania

In many lower-income countries, the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) involves significant opportunity costs for artisanal fishers, reflected in changes in how they allocate their labor in response to the MPA. The resource economics literature rarely addresses such labor allocation decisions of artisanal fishers and how, in turn, these contribute to the impact of MPAs on fish stocks, yield, and income. This paper develops a spatial bio-economic model of a fishery adjacent to a village of people who allocate their labor between fishing and on-shore wage opportunities to establish a spatial Nash equilibrium at a steady state fish stock in response to various locations for no-take zone MPAs and managed access MPAs. Villagers’ fishing location decisions are based on distance costs, fishing returns, and wages. Here, the MPA location determines its impact on fish stocks, fish yield, and villager income due to distance costs, congestion, and fish dispersal. Incorporating wage labor opportunities into the framework allows examination of the MPA’s impact on rural incomes, with results determining that win-wins between yield and stocks occur in very different MPA locations than do win-wins between income and stocks. Similarly, villagers in a high-wage setting face a lower burden from MPAs than do those in low-wage settings. Motivated by issues of central importance in Tanzania and Costa Rica, we impose various policies on this fishery – location specific no-take zones, increasing on-shore wages, and restricting MPA access to a subset of villagers – to analyze the impact of an MPA on fish stocks and rural incomes in such settings

Collaborative research across boundaries: Mangrove ecosystem services and poverty traps as a coupled natural-human system

Mangrove wetlands are one of the most threatened ecosystems in coastal zones, and are being degraded globally at a high rate due to human activities. Impoverished and vulnerable populations living in rural coastal areas in subtropical and tropical latitudes tend to be most directly dependent on ecosystem services and hence are directly affected by the degradation of mangrove wetlands and other coastal resources. We formed an interdisciplinary and international team of researchers, students, and professionals to understand the linkages between poverty traps and mangrove ecosystem services in coastal Tanzania, thus informing and contributing to institutional efforts to resolve and avoid these traps. This chapter analyzes the nature of this coupled natural-human system, assesses the challenges to implement an interdisciplinary research agenda as a team, and underscores the practical strategies to overcome those challenges