The Effect of China’s New Circular Collective Forest Tenure Reform on Household Non-Timber Forest Product Production in Natural Forest Protection Project Regions

Yang Ren, Jari Kuuluvainen, Anne Toppinen, Shunbo Yao, Sami Berghäll, Heimo Karppinen, Caixia Xue and Liu Yang
Additional contact information
Yang Ren: Research Center for Resource Economics and Environment Management, College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling 712100, China
Jari Kuuluvainen: Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Anne Toppinen: Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Shunbo Yao: Research Center for Resource Economics and Environment Management, College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling 712100, China
Sami Berghäll: Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Heimo Karppinen: Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Caixia Xue: Research Center for Resource Economics and Environment Management, College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling 712100, China
Liu Yang: Research Center for Resource Economics and Environment Management, College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling 712100, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: The implementation of China’s natural forest protection project (Protection Project) in 1998 changed households’ forestry production modes in project regions, and China’s new circular collective forest tenure reform (Tenure Reform) has been implemented since 2003 with the goal of motivating household forestry production and increasing household income from forests. Policymakers expect that Tenure Reform could also stimulate households to engage in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) production in Protection Project regions. However, only a few studies have investigated the effect of Tenure Reform on household NTFP production in Protection Project regions. To fill this gap, we built an integrative conceptual framework and estimated a corresponding structural equation model (SEM) using survey data from 932 households in Protection Project regions in southwestern China. In our research framework, there are four factors, including household characteristics, labour and social capital, forestland characteristics, and the Tenure Reform, affecting household NTFP production. The results substantiate that Tenure Reform has had a significant positive effect on household NTFP production. Additionally, household and forestland characteristics have promoted household NTFP production, but quantitatively less than Tenure Reform. This report can be used to inform the government that future investment in Tenure Reform still needs to be enhanced, and policy enforcement still needs to be strengthened.

Keywords: households; non-timber forest products production; collective forest tenure reform; natural forest protection project; structural equation model; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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