Linking rural communities

1
Linking rural communities livelihoods with
markets of underutilized species
case study in Syria
Alessandra Giuliani

• IPGRI International Plant Genetic Resouces
  Institute
• CWANA Regional Office for Central and West Asia
  and North Africa

Aleppo, 19 January 2005
2
Content Overview

• Introduction neglected and underutilized
  species and livelihoods
• Study objectives and research methods
• Results livelihoods indicators
• Results market chains
• Results market constraints
• Conclusions and recommendations

3
IPGRI objectives
introduction
How to manage diversity for livelihoods

• Contribution of diversity to livelihoods in terms
  of social and economic impact
• Focus on Neglected and Underutilised Species (NUS)

Markets Biodiversity Livelihoods
Poor communities
4
NUS
introduction
underutilized
small total economic value in commercial
production and trade, comparing to the stable
crops and agricultural commodities
neglected
Lack of documentation and formal research and
development scarce attention by national
agricultural and biodiversity conservation
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IPGRI NUS and Livelihoods
introduction
Natural capital
collection from the wild
agriculture sustainability diversification,
rich agro-ecosystems, adaptation, marginal lands
Physical capital
Financial capital
important secondary source of income
role of fragile groups
health remedies
Social capital
Human capital
informal trade
food and nutritional security diversity rich diet
traditions and IK
traditions and IK
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Aim of the study
objectives
Linking livelihoods with markets
Income, social values
Generating market value
Rural communities LIVELIHOODS
Use
Biodiversity conservation
1 Identify some livelihoods indicators (social,
demographic and economic) 2 Outline the market
chain and its actors for the selected species 3
Identify constraints and opportunities to market
value 4 Share the information with the
interviewed communities members
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Research approaches market chain analysis and
livelihood framework
methodology
livelihood assets
MARKET CHAIN
traders
harvesters
consumers
processors
growers
middlemen
collectors
wholesalers
retailers
P G R Research and Policies / Institutions
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Selected underutilized species
methodology
Zizyphus jujuba (jujube)
Ficus carica (fig)
Capparis spinosa (caper)
Laurus nobilis (laurel)
Malva silvestris (mallow)
Portulaca oleracea (purslane)
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Research methods
methodology
Livelihoods indicators
Market chain
SURVEY WITH 4 QUESTIONNAIRES TO INDIVIDUAL ACTORS
FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS
Academics, researchers, farmers, traders
Households of growers, collectors, processors,
traders
Local uses Market chain Actors involved
Livelihoods indicators, marketing and income
share factors
Highlight different perceptions along the chain
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Survey methods
methodology
SURVEY COVERAGE
5 sites with morpho-geographic, social, cultural
and economic characteristics
PURPOSE SAMPLING
Population statistics of surveyed groups are not
available
Maximum variation sampling
Snow ball approach
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Livelihood assets the Human Capital
1 - results livelihood indicators
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Livelihood assets Income and returns to labour
1 - results livelihood indicators
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Laurel value chain
2 - results market chains

SYRIAN COLLECTORS/LAUREL OIL PROCESSORS
TURKISH LAUREL OIL PROCESSORS
Collectors berries
Collectors leaves

IMPORT TRADERS
TRADERS
TRADERS

SOAP MAKERS

HERBALIST/ RETAILERS
TRADERS
LAUREL SOAP EXPORTERS
CONSUMERS
DISTRIBUTORS
FOREIGN HERBALIST
FOREIGN CONSUMERS
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Caper value chain
2 - results market chains
COLLECTORS from the wild
Collection
0.70 /kg Margin

Collectors RESONSIBLE
Gathering and coordinate the collection

0.40 /kg Margin

MANAGER
Processing and storage
0.72 /kg Margin
TURKISH TRADERS
LOCAL TRADERS
3 /kg Margin
TURKISH FACTORY
Processing and marketing
30 /Kg
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Jujube value chain
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CAPER
3 - results constraints
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LAUREL soap market overview
3- results constraints and opportunities
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Constraints along the chain
3- results constraints
processors
No quality or different processing
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Evidence of impact of NUS on Livelihoods
conclusions
IMPORTANT MARGINAL INCOME 10-30 per year
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Recommendationshow to enhance the market
potentials?
Recommendations
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Recommendations
Priority of intervention

• Market information gathering mechanism
• More favourable policies to enhance uses of NUS
• Public awareness in support of biodiversity rich
  markets

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Capacity building, Knowledge sharing,Partnership
with private sector Farmers cooperatives
Recommendations
Research implications

• Cultivation practices

• Processing and value-adding techniques

• Market chain organisation and marketing
  strategies

• Legal and policy instruments

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Potential partnership with private sector
(Italy/Syria)
Discussion
Joint venture for cultivating capers of
Pantelleria in Syria
S
Promotion of cultivation and commercialisation
Business orientation max profit for
businessmen, no immediate benefit for poor
livelihoods
W
O
Opportunities for poor small farms
Introduction of external variety - erosion of
local variety, control of the seed spreading No
improvement in the labour conditions
T
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Discussion
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Thank you
Acknowledgements

Key informants and surveyed families
Surveyants Racha, Robin, Yamam, Bashar,
Emad Colleagues Stefano, Adnan, Firas, Amer,
Silvia, Laura, Hasan