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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Towards a diversified agricultural forest-based economy: Community views of planting sandalwood in Timor-Leste
Forest and Society, Vol.7(2), pp.311-343
2023
Abstract
With growing awareness that export revenues derived from non-renewable oil and gas resources are in decline, Timor-Leste seeks to develop a more sustainable and diversified economy. Sandalwood holds significant cultural, economic and historical importance for the Timorese people, and is representative of an internationally competitive export product. Livelihood diversification can alleviate the prevalence of poverty among smallholders in Timor-Leste. Within this context, and with a focus on forestry, we sought to determine the institutional support and smallholder interest and capacity for restoring over-exploited sandalwood. Interviewed households were acutely aware of the high value and benefits derived from sandalwood and expressed strong interest in planting the species for income generation. Land tenure security, essential for long-term forestry investments, was high among those surveyed and not considered a limitation. Improved forestry extension can address many of the respondent-identified risks which were biophysical (lack of water, pests, livestock, and fire destruction). Legal marketing of planted sandalwood, which is currently prohibited, can help growers maximise benefits from their investments and provide a market signal to stimulate wider planting of sandalwood among smallholders.
Details
- Title
- Towards a diversified agricultural forest-based economy: Community views of planting sandalwood in Timor-Leste
- Authors
- Pyone Myat Thu (Corresponding Author) - Chulalongkorn UniversityJoaquina Barreto (Author) - Agricultural Innovations for Communities in Timor-Leste (Timor-Leste)William Erskine (Author) - The University of Western AustraliaRobert Williams (Author) - Agricultural Innovations for Communities in Timor-Leste (Timor-Leste)Abril Soares (Author) - Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Dili)Valerio Ximenes (Author) - Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Dili)Anita Ximenes (Author) - Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Dili)Maria Fernandes (Author) - Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Dili)Octaviana P Agostinho (Author) - Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Dili)Tony Page (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
- Publication details
- Forest and Society, Vol.7(2), pp.311-343
- Publisher
- Universitas Hasanuddin
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.24259/fs.v7i2.23548
- ISSN
- 2549-4333; 2549-4724
- Copyright note
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Grant note
- CIM-2014-082 / Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
- Organisation Unit
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99966895902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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