Articles

Contribution of forestry to rural development

Authors
  • N. Lust
  • L. Nachtergale

Abstract

Rural  development will be a primary challenge in the next century. Consequently,  the question    arises what will be the contribution of forestry to this rural development,  taking into account that    nowadays in terms of rural employment the importance of forestry is  low.    Rural areas are confronted with major challenges of economic restructuring  and development,    partially due to the permanent evolution of perception and roles of forests  and managers in rural    development. In comparison with the recent past, the current rural  economies are much more    diverse and urban/globally interrelated.    Next to the limited direct income and employment supply, intelligent rural  forestry protects the    agricultural crops and enhances their productivity. But moreover, the  potentials of the new forest    functions must be explored, based on the typical charactersistics of each  individual rural area.    There still are, also in the next century, various reasons for farmers to  incorporate forests within    their farming system. However, the motives and objectives for management  may be quite    diverse and a lot of problems must be solved, before forestry can express  its full potential.    Beside the production of marketable goods, numerous arguments about quality  of environment,    landscape beauty, biodiversity protection, water quality, erosion control,  etc. are recommended    to farmers.    The challenge of sustainable rural development is to promote efficiency and  social equity, while    respecting and enhancing ecological integrity and cultural identity. For  the implementation of the    forestry contribution, three specific means are available: forest  development programmes, full    utilisation of potential market chances for wood and non-wood products and  marketing of forest    services.

How to Cite:

Lust, N. & Nachtergale, L., (1998) “Contribution of forestry to rural development”, Silva Gandavensis 63. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sg.v63i0.838

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Published on
03 Oct 1998
Peer Reviewed
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