Abstract
At the end of the 20th century, optimism existed that non-timber forest products (NTFPs) can form an integral part in conservation and development strategies. However, there is limited knowledge on how the different stakeholders could relate to the state or to each other in promoting commercialization of NTFPs. Applying the policy network as an analytical framework, we investigated the structural patterns of actor relations in the governance structure of indigenous natural products (INPs) in Namibia, to understand the implications of such relations on INP policy process. The findings indicate that the INP policy network in Namibia is multi-dimensional, consisting of the Indigenous Plant Task Team (IPTT)—the key governance structure for resource mobilization and information sharing; and functional relations which serve specific roles in the INP value chain. The existing relations have facilitated policy development particularly for heavily regulated species, such as devil’s claw; but for other species, only incremental changes are observed in terms of small-scale processing facilities for value addition and exclusive purchase agreements for sustainable sourcing of INPs. Participation of primary producers, private actors and quality standardization bodies is limited in INPs governance structures, which narrow the scope of information sharing. Consequently, despite that the IPTT has fostered publicly funded explorative pilot projects, ranging from production to marketing of INPs, there are no clear guidelines how these projects results can be transferred to private entities for possible commercialization. Further collaboration and information sharing is needed to guide public sector relations with the private entities and cooperatives.
Highlights
At the end of the 20th century optimism existed that nontimber forest products (NTFPs) could contribute toward combined goals of conservation and development (Belcher et al 2005; Kusters et al 2006)
The network structure shows the presence of other forms of governance clusters, which are central to indigenous natural products (INPs) governance as they focus on distinctive functions
In combination with the activities of the Devil’s Claw Working Group (DCWG), Interim-bio Prospecting Committee (IBPC) and other forms of governance clusters identified, the structure of the INP policy network influenced the execution of a series of activities in the fields of policy formulation and implementation
Summary
At the end of the 20th century optimism existed that nontimber forest products (NTFPs) could contribute toward combined goals of conservation and development (Belcher et al 2005; Kusters et al 2006) These studies concluded that in order to achieve these combined goals, a focus on multi-stakeholder governance is required to foster a multidisciplinary engagement and inter-sectoral policies integration (Arnold and Ruiz Pérez (2001). The governance of NTFPs involves diverse issues including resource management and marketing systems, which are often directed at specific species. This is reflected in a great diversity in institutions for both access to NTFP resources and markets (Laird et al 2010; Ros-Tonen and Kusters 2011; Wiersum et al 2014).
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