Interactions between formal and informal institutions governing community and small-scale timber enterprises: The case of the Ampiyacu river basin in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Community-based and small-scale forestry enterprises (CSFEs) are heavily promoted as organizations for poverty reduction and deforestation. CSFEs are required to comply with formal laws, policies, and official programs, yet they also operate in informal spaces, with communities following traditional ways of managing their resources. Based on a case study of the Ampiyacu basin in the Peruvian Amazon, we analyzed how the interaction between formal and informal timber management systems has evolved over time, and how this interaction has affected tenure, forest management, forest monitoring and timber commercialization. Using qualitative research methods, including interviews with key informants and community members, our findings show that formal and traditional systems interact in diverse, complex and even contradictory ways. Informal community rules regulate timber use as much or more than the state, and can be more effective because they are more diverse, flexible and specific. Ultimately, this study seeks to contribute to a reflective debate on the recognition of local and Indigenous institutions, highlighting the importance of strengthening Indigenous peoples' autonomy.