What Futures for the People of the Tropical Forests?

The importance of forest products to the households who live in or close to the forests has been increasingly recognised over the past ten years. The numbers of people who in some way rely on the forest for survival or livelihood inputs is difficult to assess, and estimates vary widely. The authors of this paper argue that these are not the most appropriate measures of the importance of forests to users, and propose an approach that disaggregates the subject. A typology of different types of users is put forward that recognises the varied nature of relationships of people to forests and forest products, and the impact on them of changes in economic, cultural and social conditions. It is by understanding these patterns of use and change that management can correctly match institutional change to changing patterns of demand, use and supply, and support both ÒforestdependentÓ and Òforest-relatedÓ people in appropriate ways.