Natural forests and wildlands across 58 tropical research sites provide 28 percent of total household income — nearly as much as crops — according to a new study by the Poverty and Environment Network (PEN) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
The study, titled “Environmental Income and Rural Livelihoods: A Global-Comparative Analysis,” is the largest quantitative global-comparative research project to date on forests and rural livelihoods, it analyzes data gathered from some 8,000 households in 24 developing countries. In addition to research on income generation and rural livelihoods, the global study tackles the themes of safety nets during shortfalls, gender and forest use, forest clearing and livelihoods, and tenure and forest income. The papers appear in a special issue of World Development.
[Read full text on CIFOR Forests News]