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Entrepreneurship in value chains of non-timber forest products

Entrepreneurship in value chains of non-timber forest products
Entrepreneurship in value chains of non-timber forest products
Entrepreneurship and innovation by actors in the market for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) cannot be fully understood without a proper understanding of the position and behaviour of actors in the value chain of NTFPs. This paper places the market for NTFPs in the emerging literature on value chains which has, so far, lacked a detailed analysis of NTFPs. Our analysis reveals that certain key entrepreneurs are a driving force of success throughout several NTFP value chains in both Bolivia and Mexico. Where market information is scarce, e.g. where producers are distant from consumers, key entrepreneurs often govern entire value chains.

We argue that certain entrepreneurs are key to spreading success throughout the value chains of selected NTFPs offsetting potential negative consequences such as exploitation of more upstream actors (e.g. collectors and processors) in the value chains. Typical examples include the shopkeeper/organisation in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, who sources woven palm products from and supports several producers, and the entrepreneur in Mexico who established links between mushroom pickers in rural communities and brokers and consumers in Japan. Rather than criticising the monopolistic position of individuals, it is important to understand how the activity of key entrepreneurs can be supported in spreading successful commercialisation further and where necessary control negative impacts of their role. Our analysis indicates that policies to support commercialisation of the case study NTFPs would also need to be tailored to each value chain.

entrepreneurship, value chains, governance, innovation, market information, bolivia, mexico, camedora palm, matsutake mushrooms, jipi japa fibre
1389-9341
725-741
Te Velde, Dirk Willem
59885e8f-3148-4213-8dfa-097dac872641
Rushton, Jonathan
291644fa-8723-42f0-894e-5eb5a96015aa
Schreckenberg, Kathrin
d3fa344b-bf0d-4358-b12a-5547968f8a77
Marshall, Elaine
0440edfb-7d00-4cbc-a75e-7b7fe1c5f2bc
Edouard, Fabrice
29eec5f3-6865-4925-990e-e901421ef91d
Newton, Adrian
5b704d39-6d88-4f91-8201-bacf55d3d377
Arancibia, Erik
76389e6b-5988-4e83-a1a3-07c50ce482e1
Te Velde, Dirk Willem
59885e8f-3148-4213-8dfa-097dac872641
Rushton, Jonathan
291644fa-8723-42f0-894e-5eb5a96015aa
Schreckenberg, Kathrin
d3fa344b-bf0d-4358-b12a-5547968f8a77
Marshall, Elaine
0440edfb-7d00-4cbc-a75e-7b7fe1c5f2bc
Edouard, Fabrice
29eec5f3-6865-4925-990e-e901421ef91d
Newton, Adrian
5b704d39-6d88-4f91-8201-bacf55d3d377
Arancibia, Erik
76389e6b-5988-4e83-a1a3-07c50ce482e1

Te Velde, Dirk Willem, Rushton, Jonathan, Schreckenberg, Kathrin, Marshall, Elaine, Edouard, Fabrice, Newton, Adrian and Arancibia, Erik (2006) Entrepreneurship in value chains of non-timber forest products. Forest Policy and Economics, 8 (7), 725-741. (doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2005.06.010).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Entrepreneurship and innovation by actors in the market for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) cannot be fully understood without a proper understanding of the position and behaviour of actors in the value chain of NTFPs. This paper places the market for NTFPs in the emerging literature on value chains which has, so far, lacked a detailed analysis of NTFPs. Our analysis reveals that certain key entrepreneurs are a driving force of success throughout several NTFP value chains in both Bolivia and Mexico. Where market information is scarce, e.g. where producers are distant from consumers, key entrepreneurs often govern entire value chains.

We argue that certain entrepreneurs are key to spreading success throughout the value chains of selected NTFPs offsetting potential negative consequences such as exploitation of more upstream actors (e.g. collectors and processors) in the value chains. Typical examples include the shopkeeper/organisation in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, who sources woven palm products from and supports several producers, and the entrepreneur in Mexico who established links between mushroom pickers in rural communities and brokers and consumers in Japan. Rather than criticising the monopolistic position of individuals, it is important to understand how the activity of key entrepreneurs can be supported in spreading successful commercialisation further and where necessary control negative impacts of their role. Our analysis indicates that policies to support commercialisation of the case study NTFPs would also need to be tailored to each value chain.

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More information

Published date: October 2006
Keywords: entrepreneurship, value chains, governance, innovation, market information, bolivia, mexico, camedora palm, matsutake mushrooms, jipi japa fibre

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 76125
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/76125
ISSN: 1389-9341
PURE UUID: 86f9a660-137c-4d20-8e5d-4f135a10222e

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 Mar 2010
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 23:09

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Contributors

Author: Dirk Willem Te Velde
Author: Jonathan Rushton
Author: Kathrin Schreckenberg
Author: Elaine Marshall
Author: Fabrice Edouard
Author: Adrian Newton
Author: Erik Arancibia

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