Spiders in the Web: Understanding the Evolution of REDD+ in Southwest Ghana
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. The Introduction of REDD+ Practice in SW Ghana
3.1.1. Meaning: Ideas and Discourse
3.1.2. Materiality: Technology and Resources
3.1.3. Competences: Standards and Procedures
3.1.4. The Role of Global-Local Intermediary Organziations
3.2. The Unpacking and Evolution of REDD+ in Southwest Ghana
3.2.1. REDD+ and Community-Based Conservation
Meaning
“In the dry season the trees preserve water. They give us strength because the trees give us clean air … they prevent high temperatures and heavy rains, we need to protect them so we can develop the area well. Streams will (then) never dry up. … If we cut the forest, rainfall will reduce so in order to get rainfall and promote agriculture, we need to keep forests intact.”
Materiality
“People might rather not have forests because they are disillusioned with the way in which things used to be managed.”
“Because of REDD+ we know what we can achieve one day.”
Competences
“We need knowledge for planting crops, for agricultural improvement, production and output of agriculture of our livelihoods for example not to burn our fields, we need the technological know how to improve that.”
“I will tell that before we benefited from the forests and now we don’t get benefits. So maybe we can get additional support from the government. It is best is for someone to come and teach us techniques to multiply agriculture production.”
3.2.2. REDD+ and Tree Planting Practices
Meaning
Materiality
“Local people don’t want to invest in not using forest for 20 years. If they plant trees such as rubber, they will at least receive income at some point.”
“For example, in this REDD+ area, we can give them (local smallholders) incentives to plant trees and then maybe go further, to help them establish small scale saw mills where they process the wood for charcoal, preserve the wood for their daily lives, timber for their domestic use, and then to sell to the local market.”
Competences
“I heard a lot on the radio about the money that we could receive for trees. When I decided to have my own little tree plantation early on, many people in my village thought I was crazy, but now that the trees are maturing, they see that I am already reaping benefits, for the community and for my family, regardless of any payments I might receive from carbon or not.”
3.2.3. REDD+, Agro-Forestry, and Sustainable Agriculture Practices
Meaning
Materiality
Competences
3.2.4. Integrated Landscape Approaches to REDD+ in SW Ghana
Meaning
Materiality
“Finally (after years of REDD+ preparations) we sat down with the community and looked at the landscape. And we decided there was no play for REDD+ because carbon finance could not come from reduced deforestation alone. We therefore decided to go for Climate Smart Cocoa.”
Competences
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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den Besten, J.W.; Arts, B.; Behagel, J. Spiders in the Web: Understanding the Evolution of REDD+ in Southwest Ghana. Forests 2019, 10, 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10020117
den Besten JW, Arts B, Behagel J. Spiders in the Web: Understanding the Evolution of REDD+ in Southwest Ghana. Forests. 2019; 10(2):117. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10020117
Chicago/Turabian Styleden Besten, Jan Willem, Bas Arts, and Jelle Behagel. 2019. "Spiders in the Web: Understanding the Evolution of REDD+ in Southwest Ghana" Forests 10, no. 2: 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10020117
APA Styleden Besten, J. W., Arts, B., & Behagel, J. (2019). Spiders in the Web: Understanding the Evolution of REDD+ in Southwest Ghana. Forests, 10(2), 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10020117