On 03 June 1996, Michael John Painter wrote: >`TREE-PLANTING INCENTIVES' [clip] >Dear Reader, > >I am doing a `comparative study of private tree planting incentives in developing countries' >for my M.Sc. dissertation, which has to be complete by the end of August. The dissertation >will collate existing schemes and proposals - financial, fiscal etc. I have already searched Tree >CD and located some sources of literature and contacted the main funding bodies in the UK. > >A key question is whether financial inducements to plant trees (as used in most of the >developed world) have a place in the developing countries? Farmers in the tropics (like farmers > everywhere) are reluctant to invest time, money, and labour in a long-payback crop like timber- >trees (as opposed to fruit trees). Several tree planting grant or loan schemes exist in the tropics, >but it is unclear how successful they've been. Many aid agencies feel that such inducements are > `unsustainable' - even if they work in the short term. > >I would be grateful if you or a colleague could help with any information or documents or >suggest material, people or places to contact. Any projects which you or your organisation > have considered for funding or research proposals will be beneficial to my study. In return a >synopsis of my dissertation will be available, on request, which may be of use to you. > >Many thanks and I look forward to your reply. > >Yours faithfully, > >Michael Painter. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< With the benefit of a fair amount of hands-on experience in the subject, IMHO, creating an institutional framework that creates stable, enforceable, individual property rights in planted trees will do more to encourage farmers in the so-called developing countries to take care of those trees. The current system in many (most?) developing countries vests property rights to trees (and land) in the (almighty) state. Forest codes are enforced by armed, paramilitary forest rangers who terrorize villagers. Storm troopers is not too strong a term to apply to some of them. What incentive do individuals have to care for something that belongs to the state? Providing incentives or handouts or whatever you want to call them can increase planting and short-term survival rates, but I agree with the development agencies that consider them unsustainable. UK has so many organizations that do good work overseas. I'm sure a perusal of their tree-planting project evaluations (if they are willing to share) would be enlightening. Best regards, Donald Mansius cndmans@state.me.us
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