International Institute for Environment and Development 
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Forestry and Land Use Project Summary
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Related Links: |
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Theme: Small-scale producers and local economies Project name: Stronger by association Dates / Duration: July 2004 to June 2006
Geographic Region(s): International, with main focus on Brazil, India and Uganda and an additional focus on China, Guyana and South Africa Introduction: Association lies at the heart of attempts by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to foster pro-poor growth –fighting scale disadvantages and political marginalisation to capture the benefits of globalization. SMEs based on forest resources can play a major role for sustainable livelihoods in many rural areas where few other alternatives to subsistence and poverty exist. DFID-funded inception research in six countries has demonstrated the magnitude of this contribution to economic opportunity in those countries – yet the potential of SMEs is often unrealised because of a lack of effective joint action. The
objective of this project is to improve and spread understanding of how
SME associations can work for the poor. An examination will be made of
the many types of association existing at the forest-agriculture interface
with an explicit focus on gender concerns. Types of associations might
include those formed to secure resource access or investment, enhance
efficiency, improve market penetration or overcome political marginalisation.
The research will be undertaken on the full range of associations in three
countries, and on specific associations in three more countries where
further insights add particular value. Four key characteristics of association
will be investigated: Context: SMEs often comprise the majority of livelihood opportunities in poor countries. Despite this, SMEs are often under-represented in both national planning initiatives and community programmes to eradicate poverty. Some of the reasons for this include:
Objectives: The research objective is to improve understanding about how forest resource-based SME associations can work for the poor. It will be achieved through the generation, spread and application of knowledge regarding enabling policy frameworks and key features of the functioning of effective, equitable and sustainable associations. There are profound differences between developmental trajectories that are biased toward concentration through individual competition and those whose balance is tilted towards collective responsibility or association, especially where legitimacy and credibility are enhanced by attention to gender and minority representation in the latter. Initial findings note that associations often help to overcome not only economic disadvantages of scale, but also processes of social and political marginalisation contributing to the more holistic vision of human flourishing that has gained credence in recent development thinking. A new demand has therefore been stimulated among partners in various countries to investigate this potential wider development impact of SME associations. The project will contribute to poverty reduction by increasing the preparedness of policy makers and SME practitioners to foster effective, equitable and sustainable forest-based SME associations. The project will do this through spreading understanding of how to improve the capacity of SME associations to secure investment, enhance production efficiencies, improve market access and overcome political marginalisation of the poor. Key findings/ progress to date: Work starting in July 2004 will build on the diagnostics of the key issues for forestry SMEs including the need for different types of alliance carried out in South Africa, India, China, Brazil, Uganda and Guyana. These diagnostics have included: ·
Mapping current structures and relationships in the forestry SME sector Key Publications: Stronger by association: lessons from Guyana’s forest-based associations Forest-based associations in India: An overview Sharmistha Bose, Pankaj Lal, Praveen Shashi Pareek, Manish Verma, Sushil Saigal (2006) Speaking with one voice: The role of small and medium growers' associations in driving change in the South African forest sector Septi Bukula, Mzwanele Memani (2006) Forest-based associations as drivers for sustainable development in Uganda Cornelius Kazoora, James Ackworth, Charles Tondo, Bob Kazungu (2006) Associations in emergent communities at the Amazon forest frontier, Mato Grosso Luciene Dias Fugueiredo, Noemi Porro, Ligia Sauaya Pereira (2006) Emerging forest associations in Yunnan China: Implications for livelihoods and sustainability Horst Weyerhaeuser, Shao Wen, Friedrich Kahrl (2006) Organisational mechanisms that best serve the poor Boyd, G. (2005) This paper seeks to sharpen understanding on how poor and marginalised groups can address the forces that restrain their self-development through the creation of their own democratic economic organisations. Critical factors blocking pro-poor development are examined such as elite power, modes of living and other dependent-dominant relationships which inhibit the poor from pursuing organised actions to change their life situation. In seeking ways of overcoming these factors the paper analyses the need to provide some form of catalytic support to stimulate the poor to create informal and formal organisations under their ownership and control. Stronger by association - Improving the understanding of how forest-resource based SME associations in Brazil can benefit the poor Campos, M., Francis, M. and Merry, F. (2005) The creation and consolidation of associations based around small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in frontier areas are often an attempt to overcome poverty and disadvantages of political marginalization. These associations of marginalized migrants, dependent on both agricultural and forest resources can therefore play major role in enhancing sustainable livelihoods in many rural areas. The formation and function of these associations is the focus of this report. Through interviews with association leaders this report describes and analyses 12 associations now active at the forest frontier in Amazônia. The report’s objective is to assess what characteristics determine a “good” or successful association. Associations of small and medium forest enterprise: An initial review of issues for local livelihoods and sustainability Macqueen, D.J. (2004) This short paper provides an introduction to recent literature on the benefits of small and medium enterprise associations and how to realise them. An introduction is given to some of the language used by different disciplines that may have something to offer the forest sector. A framework is presented that summarises possible association objectives – and attention is drawn to the main types of association that might pursue such objectives. Some characteristics of successful associations are described. Finally, some of the links between SME associations, poverty reduction and sustainability are highlighted. Links to partners: Brazil Instituto
de Pesquiza Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM) Contact:
Marina Campos (marina.campos@yale.edu)
and Website: http://www.en.ipam.org.br China ICRAF-Kunming Contact: Horst Weyerhaeuser (horst@loxinfo.co.th) Guyana Guyana
National Initiative for Forest Certification (GNIFC) Key research partner: Sheherezad Sharon Ousman (sousman@telsnetgy.net) Website: http://www.forestry.gov.gy/ India Winrock
International India Contact: Sushil Saigal (sushil@winrockindia.org) Sharmistha Bose (sharmistha@winrockindia.org) Website: http://www.winrockindia.org/ South Africa Upstart Business
Strategies Contact: Septi Bukula (bukula@ubsmart.co.za) Website: http://ubsmart.co.za/index.htm Uganda Sustainable
Development Centre Contact: James
Acworth (jamesacworth@yahoo.co.uk)
Project supported by: Department for International Development (DFID) Contact: Duncan
Macqueen Copyright © 2005 International Institute for Environment and Development. |
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