Abstract
Small and medium forest enterprises (SMFEs) can contribute to poverty reduction, while promoting the sustainable use of forests. Governments have a fundamental role to play in generating the conditions necessary for these enterprises to emerge and develop. Unfortunately, the business environment in many countries is unsuitable for SMFEs. That said, The Gambia has been cited as a positive example in terms of providing an enabling environment for community forestry and as being a country where SMFEs are emerging. This qualitative research employed a multiple case study approach to examine the role of The Gambian government in catalyzing the development of SMFEs. Specifically, 16 enterprises that focus on five different activities were selected to shed light on the aspects of government activities that have either enabled or constrained them. Data indicate that The Gambian government has had a positive impact on various SMFEs with respect to the transfer of land tenure to local communities, coupled with the implementation of capacity building and support activities. However, there is room for improvement as wood-related enterprises revealed being affected by significant challenges such as corrupt practices, illegal activities and deficient enforcement.
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Notes
This research was restricted to the Western Region of The Gambia, as other areas of the country are farther away from the major population centres and, therefore, had less proximity to infrastructure services.
Names of enterprises and villages are absent to maintain anonymity.
The main forest type in Villages A and C is tree and shrub savanna, while in Villages B and D it is a closed forest (Thoma and Camara 2005).
These are the National Environmental Agency, the Gambian Tourism Authority and the Forestry Department.
This community won an environmental award from the National Environmental Agency of The Gambia.
Respondents explained that this loan was part of the Community Skills Improvement Project, which also provided them with training in literacy issues.
The currency exchange at the time of the study was 26.35 Gambian Dalasi per 1 US Dollar.
The National Forest Fund is used to promote sustainable forest management, community forestry and forest protection in The Gambia.
Report prepared in 2010 for the Global Forest Resources Assessment of the FAO. Data corresponds to 2005.
Abbreviations
- SMFE:
-
Small and medium forest enterprise
- MA&D:
-
Market analysis and development
- CF:
-
Community forest
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the Forestry Department of The Gambia for permitting this research to take place and for providing copies of various documents such as the Community Forestry Implementing Guidelines, 1998 Forest Bill, and 1995–2005 Forest Policy, among others. In addition, sincere gratitude is expressed to Mr. Alkali Jarjusey, research assistant for this project. They also acknowledge the comments of two anonymous reviewers. Funding for this project was made possible by the Africa Forests Research Initiative on Conservation and Development (AFRICAD) and the Hampton Research Fund Endowment at the University of British Columbia.
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Tomaselli, M.F., Timko, J. & Kozak, R. The Role of Government in the Development of Small and Medium Forest Enterprises: Case Studies from The Gambia. Small-scale Forestry 11, 237–253 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-011-9181-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-011-9181-z