Structure and performance of forest tenure systems in Ghana
Abstract
Adoption and implementation of sustainable forestry practices are essential for a continuous supply of commodity and non-commodity resources from forests yet development of effective policies and strategies to achieve them are problematic. Part of the difficulty stem from little understanding of the interaction between obtrusive forest policies and indigenous tenure systems on sustainable forest management. This study uses a “structure-conduct-performance” framework to analyze the relationship between individual components of forest tenure and sustainable forestry practices. Data from twenty-one rural communities in the forest belt of Ghana are used to test and support theoretical propositions. Logistic regression models are used to predict willingness to engage in the preservation of indigenous, economically valuable trees, conservation of natural forests, and establishment of forest plantations. While most tenure variables behaved as predicted, security of tenure and exclusiveness are less important to the practice of sustainable forestry. Farmers, in their role as potential producers, perceive preservation of indigenous, economically valuable trees as having a net cost to them, especially if compensation is not paid for damage to crops resulting from logging operations of concessionaires. Gender differences exist regarding relative importance of tenure variables to conservation of forests. Also, willingness to pay to re-establish public forests is used as a vehicle to measure farmers' levels of intensity of preferences for public forests. Usefulness of public forests among farmers is mixed. Farmers who are aware of allocation of royalties among traditional authorities have higher willingness to pay than those not aware. Willingness to pay is also gender sensitive, and farmers not constrained by land for agriculture view reforestation of public forests more favorably than those with relatively small parcels of land.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Master, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Forestry|Agricultural economics
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