multipurpose tree species research for small farms: strategies ... - part

Session 1: Determining End Uses, Demand and Market Potentials
Session Chairman: Charles B.Mehl
The existing and potential end uses of trees
and forest products, the demand for existing
multipurpose tree species (MPTS) products,
and the existing and potential markets for those
products need to be assessed in order for MPTS
research and extension programs to be effective
tools for rural development. Papers inthis
session center on research methods and
strategies to assess use and production of trees
by small-scale farm households, both for their
own use and for sale.
Sadeque and Mehl review the rationale and
methods for a regional study on existing small
farm tree and forest usexractices. They
maintain that a basic understanding of the social
and economic factors affecting small farm use
and production of trees can best be gained
through a combination of comparative studies
looking at generd socioeconomic trends, and
case studies looking at specific issues in depth.
They discuss the major design problems of
combining flexibility and rigo, in defining and
reporting social and economic factors across
societies in a regional study, and the ways in
which these issues were resolved.
Kartasubrata discusses the experiences of a
researcher participating in this regional study.
He describes field methods and the preliminary
results of small farm tree and forest use in two
villages in West Java. He provides several
suggestions to improve the methodology for
regional studies and how to make the study
more relevant to the research needs of
Indonesia.
Lim compares surveys and participant
observation, the two most common types of
social science field research. He stresses the
importance of building trust between the
villagers and the researcher, an important
aspect of the participant observation method, to
obtain reliable information. He recommends a
combination of the two methods, with
participant observation used to gain sensitive
information, and surveys to collect data quickly
over an extensive area.
Winrock International
Bangkok, Thailand
15
In contrast, Priasukmana and Dwiprabowo
review research methods to determine demand
for MPTS products in commercial markets.
They provide a method for comparing products
through a hierarchy of product groups, classes,
lines and product types.
Wickramasinghe describes the methodology
used to analyze existing conditions in the dry
zone of Sri Lanka and recommends
improvements that can contribute to sustainable
agricultural systems. She suggests how this
approach can be used elsewhere to analyze the
potential for introducing agroforestry systems
with MPTS.
The final paper returns to marketing.
Pabuayon analyzes the role of markets in small
farm MPTS production in the Philippines. She
stresses the need for an efficient market to move
MPTS products from the farm to the consumer,
and demonstrates how the concept of efficient
marketing can be integrated into MPTS
research.
The recommendations of these papers are
many and varied, yet several general issues
emerge:
- research on social and economic aspects of
farmers' use and production of trees and forest
products is relatively new, yet it is a rapidly
expanding area of study;
- while traditional social and economic research
methods can cover some of the important issues
adequately, new applied research methods are
neced to address most social and economic
aspects of MPTS production; and
- most of the new methods and strategies
discussed point out the need to break out of
traditional disciplinary boundaries.
In conclusion, we should begin to explore the
applications of the new methods presented in
this session, refine them and conduct