This issue of Unasylva features the theme "Small-scale forest enterprises". It might well have been subtitled "Forestry's most important contribution to food security", because in many developing countries these activities are a major source of off-farm income to rural populations.
One of the more difficult problems in rural development is that of providing food security for the landless rural poor for whom improved farming methods have no practical value. These landless people need employment and income in order to have any hope of attaining food security. It is here that forest-based income can be an important, and sometimes the only, alternative for the landless to urban migration or forest clearing.
Until recently, relatively little has been done to measure the contribution that this segment of the forestry sector makes to the goals of rural development and national socio-economic objectives. The strengths and weaknesses of the sector have not been identified as a first step toward formulating strategies to support and strengthen the sector.
Forestry authorities are concerned with this question for several reasons. First, using forest resources to better the lives of rural people is a common goal of most governments and is therefore a prime responsibility of their forestry administrations. Second, providing income to those who might otherwise become shifting cultivators takes the pressure off forest areas. Additionally, people who make a sustainable living from the forest are more likely to support efforts to protect and improve the resource.
In response to government concerns, FAO has begun to develop more information on the nature of small forest enterprises, their contributions to rural incomes, the constraints that hold the small entrepreneur back, and the opportunities that strengthening this sector hold for improved rural incomes.
An initial step was the commissioning of a number of case-studies. This was followed by the convening of an expert consultation in Rome in October 1986, on which the lead article by Arnold, Chipeta and Fisseha in this issue is based, the proceedings of which will be published as an FAO Forestry Paper in late 1987.
The other two "theme" articles are a report on charcoaling enterprises in Kenya by M. Kinyanjui and an assessment of the potential of forestry cooperatives by K. Kilander.
As might be expected, forestry authorities are in a position to help overcome some of the constraints, particularly those dealing with access to raw materials, extension and information and marketing assistance. Other constraints can best be addressed by other agencies of government, both national and local, encouraged in this regard by the forestry authorities.
This does not mean that industrial forestry is to be abandoned. It does however mean that "small" begins to be recognized as being as important as "big" when it comes to forest enterprise for rural development and food security.
On the other hand, governments of many developing countries still find it desirable to invite transnational enterprises to become partners in forestry development. This may mean both costs and benefits to the host country, and this subject is treated in an article by A. Contreras of FAO in this issue.
Our series of articles on the management of natural tropical forests continues with a report by H. Maitre of CTFT on important research on tropical forest silviculture in Côte d'Ivoire. Other articles include a guide to forestry research networks by J. Burley of the Oxford Forestry institute, and a provocative analysis of "wood vs. charcoal" by J. Keita, FAO Regional Forestry Officer for Africa.
Underlying FAO's forestry programme is the Tropical Forestry Action Plan. The process of implementing the TFAP is well under way with support and participation by a great number of countries and development assistance organizations and other international interest groups. FAO Director-General Edouard Saouma describes the Plan and the Process in the opening pages of this issue. We strongly commend his message to your attention.
The Unasylva index for the years 1981 to 1986 is also found in this issue.
