People Managing Forests: The Links Between Human Well-Being and Sustainability

By: Carol J. Colfer and Yvonne Byron

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Synopsis: How do we extend the 'conservation ethic' to include the cultural links between local populations and their physical environments? Can considerations of human capital be incorporated into the definition and measurement of sustainability in managed forests? Can forests be managed in a manner that fulfills traditional goals for ecological integrity while also addressing the well-being of its human residents? In this groundbreaking work, an international team of investigators apply a diverse range of social science methods to focus on the interests of the stakeholders living in the most intimate proximity to managed forests. Using examples from North America, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, they explore the overlapping systems that characterize the management of tropical forests. People Managing Forests builds on criteria and indicators first tested by the editors and their colleagues in the mid-1990s. The researchers address topics such as intergenerational access to resources, gender relations and forest utilization, and equity in both forest-rich and forest-poor contexts. A copublication of Resources for the Future (RFF) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).