Looking Through the Bamboo Curtain: An Analysis of the Changing Role of Forest and Farm Income in Rural Livelihoods in China
Forestry and poverty analyses in China show an ambiguous relationship. While the co-occurrence of forest rich areas and poor counties has been noted by some authors, others have stressed the role played by forestry in these areas where it is frequently one of the few options available.
Our study indicates that the expansion of off-farm income is the fundamental development process taking place in many areas of rural China. Forestry can offer good income generating options to farmers, but as the local economy develops forestry tends to be displaced by more attractive alternatives.
There are niche specialisation opportunities even for rich farmers, normally linked to a certain degree of vertical integration, enhanced by specific features of some forestry uses like bamboo.
Keywords: China; bamboo; forestry; poverty; rural livelihoods
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 2: Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. 3: Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
Publication date: 01 December 2004
- 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
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