Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Beyond the numbers : Understanding the value of vegetation to rural livelihoods in Africa
Author
Kepe, Thembela
Publisher
Geoforum
Publication Year
2008
Body

Different types of vegetation found in local environments are of value to rural livelihoods of many African households. However, the dominant way of expressing this value, which is mainly through economic valuation studies, is potentially limiting this knowledge's usefulness in policy and research, due to the inability to present full picture. Using literature review and insights from field work, the paper argues that realized and notional values of vegetation to rural livelihoods are socially constructed and contested, and - in addition to understanding local livelihood context, which include social difference, and ecological dynamics - a focus on social institutions as terrains of negotiation is crucial. This means that resource value in rural livelihoods can be realized through contested and negotiated access arrangements that are mediated by complex institutions at local and external levels.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Journal Volume
39
Journal Number
2
Journal Pages
958-968
Journal Name
Geoforum
Keywords
Resource value
Livelihoods
Africa
Economic valuation
institutions
traditional knowledge
socio-economic aspects
subsistence agriculture
policies
Africa