The leaf gatherers of Kwapanin, Ghana.
1996
Agyemang, M. M. O.
This paper describes how the Ghana Forestry Department has acknowledged and overcome the distrust of villagers in the management of non-timber forest products. The collection of wrapping leaves is an important activity for people (particularly women) living near forests in Ghana, yet travel to distant forestry offices to pay for the required permit became an unacceptable burden for the women around one forest reserve. Despite fears of an increase in unlawful activities, the Forestry Department introduced free permits on an experimental basis. The fears proved to be unfounded: the leaf gathering women organized themselves efficiently and protected gathering sites. The paper also describes how the Forestry Department has adapted its ways of working through such experiments, spearheaded by a Collaborative Forest Management Unit.
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