Food security and livelihoods in restoration landscapes in western Rwanda

撒哈拉以南非洲许多地区的森林迅速砍伐和自然环境退化威胁到农村人口的生计和生计选择。农村生计往往与自然环境密切相关，例如通过农业生产或材料和食物的开采。缺乏资源投资于土地和其他自然资产的贫困家庭可能陷入资源退化和贫困的螺旋式下降。在此背景下，生态系统恢复可能有助于改善生计和福利，但联系复杂，影响可能因恢复类型和强度而异。已经根据卫星数据和微观消费数据确定了森林对营养的积极影响，但确切的机制和影响途径在很大程度上仍然是一个黑箱。这一分项目旨在调查生态系统恢复对家庭福利、粮食安全和营养的影响。更具体地说，它将评估(1)恢复对农场和景观规模的农业产量、家庭收入和粮食安全的影响，(2)不同恢复类型和强度、生计战略和福祉水平之间的联系，以及(3)景观恢复对营养的影响和潜在影响途径。分析将基于对吉什瓦蒂-穆库拉国家公园周围四个区600户家庭的分层随机抽样的原始调查数据。这项调查将与战略计划六密切合作实施，并将收集关于恢复活动(包括林地、农林业和家庭花园植树)、农业生产以及家庭支出和食物消费的详细信息。该分项目将采用定量分析和计量经济学技术来解决研究目标。我们希望发现，景观恢复，特别是更老和更多样化的恢复地点，与更多样化的生计选择和改善的福利结果相关。我们还预计景观恢复将通过各种途径与积极的营养结果相联系。在我们的分析中，我们明确考虑了景观背景，部分使用了SP2的数据，并预计农场和景观层面的恢复活动与家庭层面的福利之间存在强大的协同效应。

Rapid deforestation and degradation of the natural environment in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa threaten the livelihoods and livelihood options of the rural population. Rural livelihoods are often closely intertwined with the natural environment, e.g. through agricultural production or the extraction of materials and food. Poor households who lack the resources to invest in their soils and other natural assets can get trapped in a downward spiral of resource degradation and poverty. Against this background, ecosystem restoration can potentially contribute to improved livelihoods and welfare, yet, the links are complex and impacts are likely to vary with restoration type and intensity. Positive effects of forests on nutrition have been established based on satellite data and micro-level consumption data, but the exact mechanisms and impact pathways largely remain a black-box. This sub-project aims to investigate the effects of ecosystem restoration on household welfare, food security and nutrition. More specifically, it will assess (1) restoration effects on agricultural yields, household income and food security at farm and landscape scales, (2) the link between different types and intensities of restoration, livelihood strategies and levels of well-being, and (3) the effects and underlying impact pathways of landscape restoration on nutrition. The analyses will be based on original survey data from a stratified random sample of 600 households located in four districts around the Gishwati-Mukura National Park. The survey will be implemented in close collaboration with SP6 and will collect detailed information on restoration activities (including woodlots, agroforestry, and tree planting in homegardens), agricultural production, and household expenditures and food consumption. The sub-project will employ quantitative analyses and econometric techniques to address the research objectives. We expect to find that landscape restoration, especially older and more diverse restoration sites, are associated with more diversified livelihood options and improved welfare outcomes. We also expect landscape restoration to be connected via various pathways to positive nutrition outcomes. In our analysis we explicitly consider the landscape context, partly using data from SP2, and expect strong synergies between farm and landscape level restoration activities and household-level welfare.