Forests, Timber and Rural Livelihoods: Implications for Social Safeguards in the Ghana-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement

摘要: Based on detailed income data of 478 rural households, the nexus between forest, trees and livelihoods in Ghana is investigated applied to assess implications Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) EU illegal logging. It found that, after crops, environmental (cash subsistence) most important contributor households’ total yearly net income. Fuelwood, bushmeat wild foods from plants are products. The survey shows meagre timber poles, but likely underreport this source due its nature. Yet, when incomes harvesting as estimated by other studies compared with study’s comprehensive livelihood data, it obvious that an imagined full implementation VPA would have limited impact majority households. Rather than focusing social safeguards mitigate any perceived or real negative impacts short-term, policy makers Ghana—and donors supporting them—should focus aspects VPA, notably forest reforms particular devolve management rights benefits farm fallow land those occupying cultivating land. Such efforts provide incentive for production thus enhance livelihoods, while combatting logging, deforestation degradation.