Just harvest: Ecology and politics of forest canopy product use in protected areas

Abstract

There exists a long history of state interest in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) harvest, as a result of which forest-dwelling communities have been “arborealized,” i.e., made dependent on forest produce while being denied land rights (Li 2010 ). Recent conservation policies have added to this historic marginalization by further restricting a relatively low level of subsistence forest use. Such forest policies are mandated in spite of ecological studies that demonstrate that NTFPs can be sustainably harvested. The loss of forest access has resulted in adverse effects on livelihoods of local people. We present recent fi ndings from ecological and socioeconomic studies in a protected area in India to argue that forest product harvest might be supported even within protected areas subjected to a system of local and scientifi c knowledge and management. Using the case of Phyllanthus fruit collection and Apis dorsata honey harvest, we demonstrate how ecological, social-cultural, and economic aspects might be incorporated into equitable management regimes.