Globalised forest-products: commodification of the matsutake mushroom in Tibetan villages, Yunnan, Southwest China
Recent economic policies in China demonstrate a growing recognition of the potential of the commercial utilization of Non-timber forest products to contribute to sustainable forest management and improve local livelihoods. However, little attention has been paid to understanding the
socio-political contexts or the distributional effects of NTFP commercialization. This commodity chain analysis of the matsutake mushroom market in Yunnan Province, Southwest China, identifies the different actors involved in the trade and mechanisms that shape their access to, and benefits
from, the market. This study finds that market regulations meant to promote exports have constrained market development and limited participation at the most lucrative node in the chain to a few powerful actors. Also, while economic activities continue to be structured by local cultural, historical
and political forces, the interactions between local and global processes significantly shape distributional equity in the matsutake commodity chain.
Keywords: Access to Resource; Commodity Chain; Middlemen; NTFP; Political Ecology
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Centre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, Kunming Institute of Botany, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650204, China; World Agroforestry Centre ICRAF-China, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650204, China; School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
Publication date: 01 March 2010
- The International Forestry Review is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes original research and review papers on all aspects of forest policy and science, with an emphasis on issues of transnational significance. It is published four times per year, in March, June, September and December. Theme editions are a regular feature and attract a wide audience.
The IFR is part of The Global Forest Information Service - GFIS
International Forestry Review has an Impact Factor of 1.705 - Editorial Board
- Information for Authors
- Submit a Paper
- Subscribe to this Title
- Membership Information
- Information for Advertisers
- Online guide to scientific writing
- Back issues and missing issues
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content