Peruvian Amazon: Development of Tropical Timber Resources by Local Communities

Abstract

"What are the challenges involved in applying the general principle of local control over the development of tropical timber resources? Some answers to this question emerge from studying a project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), that involved natural forest management on indigenous lands in the Peruvian Amazon's Palcazu Valley. A financial analysis based on the results of recent harvests shows that the project's actual performance, after USAID support ended, has fallen well short of its projected potential.

"Poor performance resulted from biased governmental policies and the premature withdrawal of outside technical experts because of guerilla activity of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorists. Aside from depending on policy reform, sustainable forestry development can be promoted by linking forest dweller communities with private sources of marketing, production, and processing expertise."