Abstract
Forming a backbone of the wood supply in Vietnam, approximately 50% of plantation areas are managed by individual households. Of the planted species, the Acacia (Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. × Acacia mangium Willd) hybrid is one of the most preferred by timber growers. Yet, information on the potential of this timber species for rural livelihoods is lacking. Taking Nam Dong and Phu Loc districts in Thua Thien Hue province as case studies, this paper aimed to explore the (i) characteristics of small-scale Acacia hybrid timber producers; (ii) contribution of Acacia hybrid timber production and commercialization to rural livelihoods; and (iii) socio-economic and contextual factors which determine the income from Acacia hybrid timber. We applied a mixed-methods approach including review of secondary data, interviews of 26 key informants, eight focus group discussions, direct observations and a survey of 300 Acacia hybrid producer households selected through multistage and purposive sampling. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using thematic, descriptive and inferential statistics, such as variance analysis, correlation analysis and Bayesian model average (BMA) analysis. The results demonstrated the diversity of socio-economic characteristics, resource access and management as well as determinants of timber income of small-scale timber producers between the cases. Accounting for 33–56% of total household income, Acacia hybrid timber plantations played a crucial role in the current livelihood system. Nevertheless, timber income was skewed toward the wealth status of timber producers and ranged between 327 USD/household and 3387 USD/household in Nam Dong and between 397 USD/household and 9460 USD/household in Phu Loc district. Despite the substantial contribution the income from Acacia hybrid plantations could make to local poverty reduction, it was the main contributor to the overall income inequality. While this income source reduced the Gini coefficient by 1% in Nam Dong, it increased the Gini coefficient by 18% in Phu Loc district. Our study can be of interest for further policy interventions focusing on sustainable reforestation and livelihood development in Vietnam.
Highlights
The role of forest resources for rural livelihoods in the tropics and subtropics has been increasingly recognized since the 1970s [1,2,3]
Our comparative analysis found that Acacia hybrid timber production in the study areas was market-oriented
The plantations provided an income-generating activity which formed an essential part of rural livelihoods in central Vietnam
Summary
The role of forest resources for rural livelihoods in the tropics and subtropics has been increasingly recognized since the 1970s [1,2,3]. In Vietnam, the government has released a policy of allocating degraded forest land to smallholder households since the 1990s [9]. This policy aimed to promote environmental sustainability, the development of the domestic wood-based industry and rural livelihoods. About half of the plantation forests are under the management of individual households normally holding less than 5 ha of plantation area, mentioned here as small-scale producers, and contribute to the livelihoods of millions of rural households [11]
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