Social forestry: A cross-cultural analysis

There is a growing appreciation of the importance of trees to rural people in developing countries. Several terms have been used to describe aspects of this relationship, including social forestry, agroforestry, and forestry for local community development. Each term denotes a connection between people and trees. Forestry has a social context; trees and food production systems are intimately linked and forestry activities should be an integral part of development, contributing to the satisfaction of basic material needs, ensuring environmental stability, and the attaining of other progressive goals. Many of these ideas about the role of forestry in rural development are not new. However, what is different is the emphasis placed on the participation of communities, households, and individuals in planting and managing trees.

This paper examines the importance and implications of indigenous technical knowledge for forestry development. It describes the extensive use of forest resources by rural people in developing countries. Further, it reviews various local tree management strategies that have been customarily used to retain tree cover in rural areas. I believe that participatory forestry interventions need to be based on a clear understanding of indigenous tree use and management systems. Such systems for a valuable foundation from which effective afforestation efforts can be launched. (author)