Contribution of Forestry to Poverty Alleviation - APFNet

of the households derive more than half of their total livelihood value from NWFPs. These figures
clearly underline the importance of NWFPs to local livelihoods. The average absolute value of NWFP
extraction for both consumption and sales is US$ 345 per year per household for households with
medium income and US$ 280 per year per household for households in the low-income category. The
report also showed that the value of collected forest products that are sold, traded, or exchanged for
cash is surprisingly high, underlining the importance of NWFPs in the rural economy as a commodity
group that is not only used as a “safety net.” NWFP collection in Cambodia must be considered as a
very important activity in the overall livelihood options for a majority of the rural people living in or
near the forests.
The high value obtained from forest products as cash income points to the importance of trade and
marketing. Very little is currently known about market linkages for NWFPs and there are very weak
official channels and structures to accommodate this trade. It is therefore recommended that the
trade and marketing structure of forest products be revised by removing restrictive license and fee
requirements to encourage pro-poor trade and rural development, as outlined in the NPRS 2003-2005.
Increased commercialization or marketing of NWFPs, however, also creates an increased need for
effective and sustainable forest resource management systems.
Commercial and Industrial Forestry
Timber is the most valuable forest product in terms of the forestry sector’s contribution to the economy,
including earning foreign currency for the government. In Cambodia, large quantities of timber are
used for the construction of houses and buildings and for the manufacture of furniture, bridges, wagons,
and sleepers.
Forest concessions
During the 1990s and early 2000s, approximately 6.8 million ha were managed under a concession
regime that contributed much less than expected (only 4-12 %) to the national GDP. The export of logs
peaked in 1995 with about 590,000 cu m, then declined to 74,000 cu m in 2000, and was almost zero in
2007. The contribution of the forestry sector to national GDP is limited but heavily underestimates the
The establishment of this tree plantation by a private company on its economic land concession in a commune in
Kampong Thom province was met with protests from local community members over the encroachment of the ELC
into their community forest area and crop lands.
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Research Team