Paolo Cerutti, senior scientist on CIFOR's Forests and Governance research program, highlights the relationship between formal institutions regulating timber extraction and the informal institutions and practices on the ground in Central Africa. Cerutti calls for the need to move away from generalized assumptions of Chinese involvement in the region to acknowledge nuances and individual trends on the ground.

1. THINKING beyond the canopy
THINKING beyond the canopy
Formal rules, informal timber extraction, Central Africa
and China
Greening China-Africa Cooperation, Beijing, 8th June 2013
Paolo Omar CERUTTI

2. THINKING beyond the canopy
The map is not the territory

3. THINKING beyond the canopy
The W.E.I.R.D. effect
http://www.foreignpolicy.com
China&…&imports&.mber&and&exports&
ecological&impact&(Mayer&et&al.&2005)&
&
China’s&.mber&prac.ces&abroad&are&a&threat&
to&sustainability&and&human&livelihoods&(Sun&
et&al.&2004;&Smouts&2003)&
&
There&is&a&culture&of&secrecy&around&Chinese&
companies&and&their&prospec.ng&ac.vi.es&
(Smouts&2003;&Glastra&1999)&
The&real&resource&sink&is&the&US,&Europe,&
and&Japan&(White&et&al.&2006)&
&
China&gives&fewer&lectures&and&more&
prac.cal&help&(in&Africa)&(Jeffrey&Sachs&in&
NYT,&8/18/06)&
&
China’s&involvement&in&Africa&lacks&
perspec.ve&in&broadsheet&press&
(Mawdsley&2008)&

4. THINKING beyond the canopy
Central Africa: the map
• Forest management units
• Council forests
• Community forests
• Authorisations
• Customary permits
Area/Volume harvested
Investments
People employed
...

5. THINKING beyond the canopy
Central Africa: the territory
Outcomes)
Effec,ve)formal)
ins,tu,ons)
Ineffec,ve)formal)
ins,tu,ons)
Convergent) Complementary& Subs.tu.ve&
Divergent) Accommoda.ng& Compe.ng&
Helmke and Levitsky 2004

6. THINKING beyond the canopy
Our findings: the map
Timber exports to Asia (90% China) over total exports

7. THINKING beyond the canopy
Our findings: the territory
Cerutti et al. 2011

8. THINKING beyond the canopy
Timber: the map
http://www.wri.org

9. THINKING beyond the canopy
Timber: the territory
WWF-CED-RELUFA 2012

10. THINKING beyond the canopy
Timber production: the map
“Informal” timber production
Cerutti and Tacconi 2008

11. THINKING beyond the canopy
[Percent of national sawnwood production, m3]
Source: State of the Forest 2010, chapter 4 (www.observatoire-comifac.net)
Timber production: the territory

12. THINKING beyond the canopyTHINKING beyond the canopy

13. THINKING beyond the canopy

14. THINKING beyond the canopyTHINKING beyond the canopy

15. THINKING beyond the canopyTHINKING beyond the canopy

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17. THINKING beyond the canopyTHINKING beyond the canopy

18. THINKING beyond the canopy
The State: the map

19. THINKING beyond the canopy
The State: the territory

20. THINKING beyond the canopy
Recent trends: map or territory?

21. THINKING beyond the canopy
What about China in all this?
• There exist “things” that make China different
from other countries
– But “who” is China?
• “Old” players have shaped the territory, “new”
players challenge “model” behavioural norms
(often wrongly) taken for granted
• Before changing the “rules of the game”, new
players need to learn current rules
– “Fill the gaps” = easiest initial strategy?

22. THINKING beyond the canopy
THINKING beyond the canopy
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
is one of the 15 centres supported by the Consultative
Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Grazie www.cifor.org/pro-formal
p.cerutti@cgiar.org