[Community forestry and the social ecology of development].

Abstract

Tropical forests are the most important resource of rural communities, offering nutrition, housing, and spiritual sustenance. Yet millions of people dependent on the forests often have no legal means of voicing their views in national policies affecting forests. Tropical forests disappear by the thousands of square miles every year. In the 1980s the rate of deforestation increased by 80% because of accelerated agricultural development, mining, road construction, and timber production. This also meant the destruction of the habitats of innumerable species of plants and animals, with unforeseeable consequences for the global climate. The adoption of community silviculture is fundamental for the utilization of timber resources and the improvement of agricultural activities while preserving pristine forests. At the University of Chiang Mai, Thailand, the sociocultural aspects of self-help and self-dependence relating to development are emphasized. As a component of rural integrated development, community silviculture was adopted in the 1970s. In the US social silviculture was institutionalized in the 1930s by the Civil Conservation Corps. It was demonstrated clearly that stable ownership of both forests and land is the foundation of effective silvicultural projects. However, often local inhabitants' rights have been ignored when clearing major forest tracts for agroindustrial enterprises. Silviculture projects for the community require five components for success: 1) leadership; 2) organizational base; 3) equal participation of community members for the distribution of benefits; 4) the ability to bring in effective external capital; and 5) good financial management for continuous operation. A number of innovative projects have been launched using environmentally viable technology for sustainable production in Mexico (Yanesha Forestry Cooperative) and in Peru (the Quintana Roo natural regeneration project).