Returns from harvesting a commercial non-timber forest product and particular characteristics of harvesters and their strategies: Aquilaria crassna and agarwood in Lao PDR.

摘要

This paper explores associations between the returns from harvesting a commercial non-timber forest product and particular characteristics of harvesters and their strategies. Data originated from a survey in Laos on the harvest and trade of agarwood, a highly valuable commodity harvested mainly from tree species in the genus Aquilaria. Five groups of harvesters were identified, with considerable differences in returns between them. Foreign harvesters, i.e., ethnic Vietnamese, earned approximately $13/day on average, while non-local full-time harvesters earned approximately USD 9, and non-local part-time harvesters $7/day. Local people earned approximately $5/day and only $4 if harvesting only took place in village forests. Factors observed to determine returns were market access, especially access to national and international markets, and knowledge and experience in trading, harvesting, and the organization of harvesting trips. It is suggested that interventions should be made to address these factors, to level out returns from harvesting, and to increase the share of returns captured by local people.