Beyond the numbers: Understanding the value of vegetation to rural livelihoods in Africa |
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| Authors: | Thembela Kepe |
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| Institution: | Department of Geography, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4 |
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| Abstract: | Different types of vegetation found in local environments are of value to rural livelihoods of many African households. However, the dominant way of expressing this value, which is mainly through economic valuation studies, is potentially limiting this knowledge’s usefulness in policy and research, due to the inability to present full picture. Using literature review and insights from field work, the paper argues that realized and notional values of vegetation to rural livelihoods are socially constructed and contested, and - in addition to understanding local livelihood context, which include social difference, and ecological dynamics - a focus on social institutions as terrains of negotiation is crucial. This means that resource value in rural livelihoods can be realized through contested and negotiated access arrangements that are mediated by complex institutions at local and external levels. |
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| Keywords: | Resource value Livelihoods Africa Economic valuation Institutions |
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