Forest conservation and the private sector: stakeholder perceptions towards payment for ecosystem service schemes in the tobacco and sugarcane sectors in Malawi
Forest conservation and the private sector: stakeholder perceptions towards payment for ecosystem service schemes in the tobacco and sugarcane sectors in Malawi
复制标题
森林保护和私营部门：利益相关者对马拉维烟草和甘蔗部门生态系统服务计划付费的看法
DOI：
10.1007/s11625-017-0469-6
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
6
通讯作者：
Gasparatos Alexandros and Saito Osamu
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Chinangwa Linda;Gasparatos Alexandros and Saito Osamu
烟草和甘蔗产业在马拉维国民经济中发挥着重要作用。它们加在一起，分别约占国家外汇收入和国内生产总值的79%和22%。然而，由于森林生态系统持续恶化，高质量烟草和甘蔗的可持续生产受到威胁。考虑到烟草/甘蔗生产对国民经济和农村生计的重要性，迫切需要在该国有效实施各种森林保护举措。考虑到森林砍伐、甘蔗/烟草生产和经济活动之间的复杂联系，这是一项复杂的任务，必须由政府和烟草/甘蔗公司共同承担。以奖励为基础的森林养护管理办法，包括生态系统服务付费办法，可以成为有助于遏制毁林的办法之一。然而，在私营部门如何能够有意义地参与生态系统服务付费计划方面，尤其是在发展中国家的情况下，存在着巨大的知识差距。本文利用专家访谈多个利益相关者在马拉维的烟草/甘蔗生产和森林保护的接口，强调私营部门在促进农业社区之间的森林保护和参与PES计划的潜力的作用。甘蔗和烟草部门目前正在执行各种森林养护倡议，但没有协调。虽然生态系统服务付费计划目前尚未在马拉维实施，但私营公司似乎对这种以奖励为基础的养护机制的支持程度较高。作为企业社会责任项目或以信贷形式（例如，农业投入获得信贷的条件或承包烟草/甘蔗种植的资格）可能是使私营部门有效参与的最适当结构。建立一个独立的多利益攸关方生态系统服务付费协调委员会对于有效协调和执行这种生态系统服务付费计划是必要的。然而，今后在马拉维推广生态系统服务付费计划的任何努力都需要了解当地的知识，并应与其他森林保护备选方案相权衡。
The tobacco and sugarcane industries play an important role in the national economy of Malawi. Collectively, they account for approximately 79 and 22% of the national foreign exchange earnings and gross domestic product, respectively. However, the sustainable production of high-quality tobacco and sugarcane has been threatened due to the continued deterioration of forest ecosystems. Considering the importance of tobacco/sugarcane production for the national economy and rural livelihoods, there is an urgent need to implement effectively different forest conservation initiatives in the country. Considering the complex linkages at the interface of deforestation, sugarcane/tobacco production, and economic activity, this is a complicated task that must be undertaken by both the government and tobacco/sugarcane companies. Incentive-based forest conservation management approaches, including Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes, can be one of the approaches that can help curb deforestation. However, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding how the private sector can be meaningfully involved in PES schemes, especially in developing country contexts. This paper draws on expert interviews with multiple stakeholders at the interface of tobacco/sugarcane production and forest conservation in Malawi to highlight the role of the private sector in promoting forest conservation among farming communities and the potential for participating in PES schemes. Different forest conservation initiatives are currently being implemented by the sugarcane and tobacco sector, but are not coordinated. While PES schemes are currently not operational in Malawi, there seems to be a relatively high support among private companies towards such incentive-based conservation mechanisms. The introduction of PES schemes as corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects or on a credit-based form (e.g., as conditionality to access credit for farm inputs or eligibility to be contracted to farm tobacco/sugarcane) could be the most appropriate structures for effectively involving the private sector. Establishing an independent multi-stakeholder PES coordination committee would be necessary for the effective coordination and implementation of such PES schemes. However, any future effort to promote a PES scheme in Malawi needs to informed with on-the-ground knowledge and should be weighed against other forest conservation options.