This article’s objective is to examine how forestland grabbing has been handled as an issue by both scientists and organizations in the Congo Basin’s context. Forestland grabbing here refers to an act of occupation of large scales of land (scale of capital) in forestry areas by actors with substantial financial or material resources, in a situation of unbalanced cognitive, political, or economic resources among involved actors, with the aim of accumulation, in a scope of action whereby the vulnerable populations are dispossessed of their customary lands, being their principal resource for survival and the network of foreign or local land controllers, who may be multinationals, international or local elites, is widened, with the consequence of the intensification of the social and political economic gap between the capitalistic elites and the communities. It is therefore a discussion based on a comparative review of Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo. From a desk research method, it appears that the Congo Basin has been neglected in the scientific discussion on forestland grabbing. If there are some research works in Cameroon, they become scarcer when we go to Gabon and almost nonexistent for the case of the Republic of Congo. Yet, the phenomenon is very present in all three countries. Moreover, the literature is more foreign investor-oriented and the intranational perspective of forestland grabbing is neglected. Very little research in Cameroon discusses the local elite and authorities as facilitators, but not as grabbers. These neglected issues are an important aspect if addressing the land grabbing phenomenon is to contribute to sustainability.
Tag: concession (land)
Making the implementation of the Multi-Forestry Business (MUK) policy work in Indonesia
Multi-forestry business (Multi Usaha Kehutanan. MUK) is Indonesia’s new paradigm for forest management, focusing on maximizing forest values and ensuring a sustainable production forest. MUK policy is a response to addressing the failures of production forest management. Consequently, all forest companies, including Ecosystem Restoration Concessions (ERC), are required to adopt the MUK paradigm. Ten of 16 ERC licenses officially implemented the MUK framework in 2021 through their approved Ten-Year Plan, designed to optimize revenues from valued commodities and potential forest utilizations. This paper examines the concept, opportunities, policy gaps, and challenges associated with implementing MUK in ERCs. The study employs a qualitative, ex-post, and inductive analysis approach combining quantitative E-survey and statistical analysis. The research reveals that MUK presents an opportunity for forest companies to develop their businesses based on the most profitable commodities and one-bundle rights, enhance forest productivity, protect biodiversity, resolve conflicts, and improve community livelihoods. We propose several measures to support the MUK policy and its challenges, such as creating a specific MUK policy tailored to the needs of ERCs, ensuring clear and clean concession areas, streamlining regulations, fostering a shift in the conduct of the bureaucracy, and reducing administrative burdens.
Characterization and ecological importance of cocoa and oil palm agroforestry systems on the outskirts of a forest concession in southern Cameroon
Traditional production systems, agroforestry systems (SAFs) in southern Cameroon combine various types of trees of socio-economic interest which can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. The objective of this work is to analyze the contribution of these agroforestry systems based on cocoa and oil palms in the sustainable management of peripheral resources of a forest concession in southern Cameroon. The methodological approach adopted consisted of carrying out socio-demographic surveys with 66 SAF operators using survey forms. A sampling rate of 10% was applied in seven villages in the Commune of Djoum. These interviews were supplemented by floristic inventories carried out on 69 plots of 40 × 60 m for a total area of 15.84 ha. The data collected allowed us to calculate various diversity and ecological indices, woody biomass and carbon stock, to which various statistical tests and Analyzes of variance were applied. The floristic potential is made up of 8,355 individuals divided into 177 species, 153 genera, 47 families, and classified into 3 woody groups, namely introduced, preserved and perennial species. The Shannon index between land use types varies from 2.15 bits in palm agroforests to 3.9 bits in forests while it is 2.81 bits in cocoa agroforests. The forests of the UFA and the peripheral SAFs share 42 forest species out of 63 inventoried species, ie 66.7% of forest species preserved in cocoa agroforests, proof of the effectiveness of the conservation potential of these SAFs in the region. The largest diameter class is [10–20] cm while the largest height class is the stratum of [5–10] m. Tree density and basal areas are highest in forests with 110.51 stems/ha and 42.08 m2/ha. Three types of architectural profiles for cocoa-based SAFs and two types of architectural profiles for oil palm-based SAFs were identified with a typology that shows 4 groups of TUTs based on ecological interactions. Forests are the type of land use that stores the most carbon (115.81 tC/ha) compared to 93.54 tC/ha for palm agroforest and 58.8 tC/ha for cocoa agroforests. Gradients of diversity, density and complexity vary with proximity to the forest concession. These results could be considered as effective and quantifiable tools for the certification of numerous cash crops such as cocoa and oil palm, which will make it possible to promote this endogenous knowledge scientifically and in the development of various programs and publications. technical notes.