Objective
Although significant progress has been made in the attempt to adapt the concept of sustainable forest management (SFM) to the situation of small farmers in the Amazon, there are still many obstacles that need to be overcome before it can be successfully i mplemented. In many situations SFM concepts for small farmers have been externally defined and do not correspond adequately to their livelihood systems and competences. This proposal aims to incorporate the needs, views and capacities of small farmers in the development of forest management strategies. For this purpose the project will identify and analyse existing local forest management initiatives in the Bolivian, Brazilian, Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon, where farmers have decided to manage and no t clear forests for other land-use purposes. Following the approach of "Integrated Natural Resource Management", the project will analyse institutional, environmental and technical aspects within the livelihoods of small farmers, to assess and value the local viability and possible contribution of different forest management strategies to the ecological stability of the different Amazon regions. Through the application of both Participatory Action Research and traditional research approaches, the proje ct will ensure local relevance and constructive learning processes, as a basis for the development of key indicators for SFM by small farmers in the Amazon. The collaborative research between European and South American partners in equitable partnerships as well as the involvement of an international research center will increase Europe's participation in international research initiatives. The project will directly contribute to one of the priority problems of the partner countries, which is how to com bine forest conservation with rural development and will therefore provide an important foundation for new policy developments aimed to maintain forest cover in the Amazon basin.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP6-2002-INCO-DEV-1
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
IP - Integrated ProjectCoordinator
FREIBURG I.BR.
Germany