Fair for whom? Politics, power and precarity in transformations of swidden social-ecological systems in Southeast Asia

Progress and Results (2023 Year)

Research purpose and content

1)  Objectives and background 

Forest-agriculture frontiers are rapidly being converted in many parts of the tropics, leading to radical changes in multifunctional landscapes and livelihoods, and smallholder and customary practices such as swidden are being transformed to agro-industrial practices and commodity agriculture. These frontiers of agriculture, fallow and forest mosaics provide multiple ecosystem services and support diverse social, cultural and livelihood needs. These are also areas where indigenous people and local communities have traditional rights to land and resources (Li, 2020; Peluso, 2005). Loss of these complex systems to increasingly homogenous landscapes is a global environmental problem – and a social-ecological crisis.

This is not a simple trajectory of change. Land use intensification in frontiers – often pursued under the guise of ‘sustainable development’ – have not led to expected win-win social and ecological outcomes (Rasmussen et al., 2018), and its benefits are often reaped by more powerful and capital-rich actors (and the State) who are remote from these changing landscapes (Ndi et al., 2022; Pemunta, 2014; Schoenberger et al., 2017). Despite these outcomes, similar practices of land use intensification continue unabated. We argue that these outcomes are mainly a result of contextual institutional factors and underlying politics and power structures across different levels of governance and society (Brockhaus et al. 2014, Hardin, 2011; Windey, 2020). They reflect the many ways in how local people are able (or not) to navigate access to forests and land, and exercise agency to pursue their own development aspirations (Hall et al., 2015; Masterson et al., 2019). These different outcomes may also reflect policy preferences, when policy decisions prioritize particular ecosystem services (and associated human wellbeing outcomes) over others, creating trade-offs and conflicts.

Many studies that focus on social or ecological outcomes of frontier change tend to be disciplinary analyses and are thus limited in its perspectives of ‘solutions’ that are required to enable sustainability. Our project applies a holistic and transdisciplinary approach to assess the multiple and interconnected social and ecological outcomes and trade-offs in changing frontier landscapes (see Figure 1: An illustration of ecosystem services and human wellbeing changes and trade-offs). Further, we examine the critical histories, and political and institutional dynamics underlying outcomes in the different geographies, and their equity consequences. We believe that this is a necessary approach to understanding complex social-ecological systems (Biggs et al. 2021, Liu et al. 2007). The overall objective of this research is thus to generate grounded contextual understandings of the social and ecological effects of transformations in forest-agriculture frontiers in Central Africa and Southeast Asia, and to identify options for equitable and sustainable development.

2)  How does the research contribute to the solution of the global environmental problems? 

The project contributes towards deeper and nuanced understandings of the underlying drivers of loss of diverse multifunctional landscapes and local injustices of dispossession occurring throughout the Global South. The causes of this global social-environmental problem are various, but broadly they have been stimulated by the search for new investment opportunities by transnational companies, and a boom in transnational investments and development collaborations anchored in global supply chains (Cons & Eilenberg, 2019; Kelly & Peluso, 2015; Mosseau et al., 2020). But how do these events take hold and unfold in frontier landscapes?

We argue that the political-histories of place matters in how frontier spaces are imagined, territorialized and made investible by the State, in collaboration with global corporate and development actors, and in how local people are engaged, displaced or ‘ignored’ in these processes (Bastos Lima & Kmoch, 2021; Brockhaus et al., 2021; Li, 2014; Wong et al., 2022). We also argue that transformational change towards equitable and sustainable development is only possible if there are shifts in power relations, discursive practices, and incentive structures that are currently propping up business-as-usual exploitation in forest frontiers in the Global South (Brockhaus and Angelsen 2012). Our research thus aims to contribute towards such shifts by applying a novel inter- and transdisciplinary approach to examine the underlying histories, institutions and political factors in the case study regions and use a comparative approach to identify factors that are hindering, or may support transformations to equitable and sustainable development (further details in Methods section below).  

3)  Methodology, structure and schedule 

We are carrying out research in different social-political contexts to examine trajectories of change that are occurring in forest-agriculture frontiers. Our case study regions are Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia Borneo), Laos in mainland Southeast Asia, and Cameroon and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa (See Map 1: FairFrontiers case study countries). In addition, we are also collaborating with Universitas Hasanuddin to apply the FairFrontiers research methods in case study sites in Sulawesi, Indonesia. These regions are unique laboratories for our study of transformations in the forest-agriculture frontiers along different ecological, social and institutional gradients such as forest cover, fallow diversity, inequality and human wellbeing, institutional/political control, and democracy and civil society engagement in policy processes. We combine various sources of data and knowledge, including spatial data and observations at local levels, local and indigenous knowledge, policy documents, national census and trade transactions.

The project adapts an integrated human wellbeing and ecosystem services approach (Masterson et al., 2019, Sen 1999), towards understanding socio-ecological changes in frontiers, and builds on the IPBES conceptual frame on diverse values and valuation of nature (IPBES 2022). A novel aspect of the project’s analytical framework is its critical examination of the underlying politics and discursive power that underlies frontier change, both from the view of institutional path dependencies of (colonial and post-colonial) development (Cochrane & Andrews, 2021; Lees, 2017; Peluso & Vandergeest, 2001) and everyday politics (Kerkvliet, 2009; Scott, 1986). We take inspiration from recent innovative research of politics, interests and access in frontiers (Cons & Eilenberg, 2019; Ishikawa, 2018; Li and Semedi, 2021; Peluso, 2017; Tsing, 2005). To carry out empirical assessments of equity, we draw on theories of social and environmental justice and examine equity through a multi-dimensional lens (Fraser, 2010; Schlosberg, 2013; Schlosberg & Carruthers, 2010; Sikor et al., 2014); see Figure 2: Multidimensional lens of equity. 

The project is organized into five interlinked modules in a structure that enables interdisciplinary and collaborative work. The first module focuses on critical analyses of development in forest-agriculture frontiers through studies of the histories of colonial and post-colonial policies, actor-networks and discourses in policy and media. The second and third modules address respectively the changing bundles of ecosystem services and well-being experienced in everyday life in frontiers, and how local communities are adapting and responding to such changes. The fourth module is specifically aimed at engagement and co-production of knowledge at local and regional levels, using creative approaches such as photovoice, art and film for visioning futures. Last, but not least, the fifth module will carry out integrative and comparative analyses across modules, scales and countries to identify barriers and opportunities for more just and sustainable development (see Figure 3: Project Structure). The project emphasizes interdisciplinary analyses as researchers work collaboratively across modules with in-country partners. We have developed a structured protocol for data collection and management to enable comparability, and data collection activities will be co-led by the in-country research partners.

4)  Expected results 

We are building our data corpus using a portfolio of research methods across all sites. This data corpus will allow for a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) approach that ‘learns’ from the different contexts of the selected case study regions (Mello 2021). Using computational analysis, the QCA approach allows us to identify both the enabling and hindering conditions for more equitable and sustainable development pathways for the hundreds of thousands of people who still depend on these diverse landscapes for their livelihoods. 

With new interdisciplinary collaborations amongst the team members and close working relationships with country partners, we expect to collectively achieve the following project outcomes: 1) advance theory and empirical methods for assessing equity, ecosystem services and wellbeing, and the complexities of transformations in an integrated manner; 2) contribute towards transformative policy change through robust approaches to co-production, dialogues and engagement with diverse actor groups. In 2023, we are already working on new conceptual frameworks on examining distal flows and inequalities, as well as on empirical analyses of equity, ecosystem services and wellbeing. 

5)  Project organization and membership 

The complexity of this social-ecological problem requires a transdisciplinary approach. We are fortunate to have a committed core team of project members, who will collaborate in different aspects of the research cycle based on their interests and disciplinary and geographic expertise (see Annex 1). Rather than individual researchers working in isolation in their cases and coming together for synthesis at the end as is often the norm in projects of this nature, we have structured our project implementation to mix teams of project researchers and members to inject fresh perspectives, enable true interdisciplinary collaboration and harness the deep experience with the group (see Figure 4: Project organization, with participation of project members). 

Our in-country partners are key to the overall project achievements. We practice a decolonial and collaborative approach to research which entails a co-production process in project design and planning (selection of sites, adapting participatory methods, etc.), diversifying expertise to account for, and give credit to different knowledges and the setting up of inclusive teams. Outside of the core team, we engage with diverse actor groups and stakeholders on co-production of knowledge in each of the case study regions, and engage with selected ‘boundary partners’ who will help to translate and bring our research results to relevant policymakers, development implementers and other key societal actors.

Challenges and achievements for this year

1)  Project overall progress

In FR2, the project team has made significant progress to adapt and refine our methods, hold methods training and kickstart field work with in-country partners, and participate in a key scientific conference.  

This year, we signed MOU agreements with 4 new partners (bringing our total to 7), held 3 in-country methods training workshops and field scoping visits, and kick-started fieldwork in Sabah Malaysia, Laos and DR Congo. With field research already completed in Cameroon, only Sarawak is yet to start fieldwork (anticipated February 2024).  In addition, the project team has been very busy with data management analyses, and have published 3 journal articles, 1 book chapter and 1 policy brief, and submitted 5 manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals (see Annex 2: Outputs for more details). In addition, we have created a FairFrontiers Research Brief series to highlight ongoing research findings and have published 2 Research Briefs in 2023 (see Section 3.2) below.

The table below highlights the achievements relative to the project’s proposed plan for FR2: 

2)  Amendments to research objectives, methodology and organization as applicable

The project is undergoing a big change in terms of staffing. Four project researchers left RIHN in 2023, and have returned to their home countries of Cameroon, Canada and Indonesia. We were however able to plan in advance for one of the staff departures and hired a new researcher in ecology with adequate time for transfer of knowledge and work. An additional three new researchers have been hired and will start in January 2024. Despite obvious challenges with staff departures, we still produced all the deliverables as planned, and even additional. We also took this transition as an opportunity to re-organize the team with a slightly different portfolio of skills required for the last 2 years of the project.

3)  Results achieved this year 

The project team has fully achieved the FR2 plans, in initiating field work, analyses and series of new studies towards achieving the project final outcomes. We emphasize some key results below (see also Section 2.1 above):

•Methods training and fieldwork: We have carried out methods training in all the case study countries. A key principle of the project is to develop collaborative research with in country partners and the methods training have been conducted with academic partners (university researchers, Ph.D., Master’s and Bachelor’s students), practitioners from civil society activist organisations, conservationists and village youths.    

oCameroon: field work was completed in late 2022, and a series of analyses have been carried out and 1 paper is published (Dhiaulhaq et al., 2024) and 1 currently in review (Hepp et al.).

oDR Congo: field work is ongoing in villages surrounding the Upemba National Park in Haut Katanga province in partnership with Forgotten Parks and University of Lubumbashi, and are expected to continue until Sept/Oct 2024. This work complements the University of Lubumbashi’s long-term ecological research in Upemba, and at least 1 of the researchers will pursue his Ph.D. with the field data.

oLao PDR: the first part of field methods has been completed in Oudomxay and Luang Namtha provinces. A second round of methods training and field work is planned for March-June 2024. The Lao team includes a diverse mix of senior researchers, Ph.D. and Bachelor’s students from National University of Laos, as well as 2 officers from the Provincial Department of Forest and Environment who will be pursuing Ph.D. and Master’s degrees with the project research. 

oSabah, Malaysia: a first part of field methods was conducted in 20 villages in Peninsular Bengkoka which are engaged in a long dispute over customary lands with a plantation company. Data from this work will be used by the communities in their land claims process. The second round of field methods will be conducted in a smaller sample of 6 villages.  Data collection is carried out by 5 village youths closely mentored by our civil society partners. 

oSarawak, Malaysia: a series of field surveys and scoping visits were carried out in 2023. Fieldwork is anticipated to begin in February 2024, and will be carried out by UNIMAS researchers, M.Sc. students and local villagers. 

•Critical discourse and historical analyses: 

oMedia-based discourse analyses on specific cases of contestation around forest and land development in Kribi, Cameroon (related to the Camvert oil palm plantation) and Sabah, Malaysia (related to a carbon offset agreement). 

oA series of ongoing historical institutional analyses are led by Univ of Helsinki Master’s student interns, in collaboration with project member Prof Maria Brockhaus: 1) Colonial legacies in the German and Cameroonian Forest Sector: An analysis of historical economic flows from 1885-2022 (Hannah Ehrlichmann); 2) Indigenous Representations in British Colonial Business Media, Cameroon (Felicity Goldman).

•Partnerships developed and MOUs signed with in-country partners in 2023: CERIDAC (DR Congo), Forgotten Parks (DR Congo) and Universitas Hasanuddin (Indonesia), bringing the total of MOU partners to 7.

The project created a new FairFrontiers Research Brief series with the aim to highlight and share new/emerging research findings that are not yet ready to be a journal article as a way to get feedback on this work. The series are meant not only for the FairFrontiers team, and partners in the field, including PhD students, interns and practitioners are highly encouraged to contribute. The briefs are peer-reviewed, and cover research findings (e.g. literature reviews, empirical analyses), brief conceptual/ theoretical/ philosophical pieces, or commentaries on a current topic related to frontier development. Two briefs are published in 2023:

•Sarah Ali and Helena Varkkey, 2023. When distal flows meet local realities: A history of Acacia and Eucalyptus plantations in Pitas, Sabah. FairFrontiers Research Brief 1.

•Henriette Kyntschl, 2023. Gender and intersectional aspects in scientific research on forest-agriculture frontiers. FairFrontiers Research Brief 2.

As indicated in last year’s report, we have engaged in a series of analyses using the telecoupling approach to trace how material (capital, labor) and immaterial (ideas) flows affect frontier change in our research sites (Friis & Nielsen, 2017; Galaz et al., 2018). These analyses help us to understand how the complexity of how external flows of investments, ideas and expertise can drive frontier change, and we have published two briefs on the topic (Ali and Varkkey 2023, Pietarinen et al. 2023). To advance methods in this growing field of study, we held a Workshop on Examining Distal Flows and Telecoupled Systems in Stockholm on June 15-16. The workshop brought together a group of scholars from SRC, University of Helsinki, National Institute for Space Research (INPE) Brazil, University of Pretoria and the Basque Center for Climate Change (BC3), including project members Prof. Maria Brockhaus and Dr. Odi Selomane. The group who represented 4 research projects that explicitly tackle telecoupling issues: FairFrontiers, Forequal, X-Paths and BridgingValues, and is an informal network focused on development of approaches, methods and frameworks to empirically assess distal flows and telecoupled systems. 

Last, but not least, FairFrontiers is proud to be practicing a decolonial and collaborative approach to research (see for e.g. Trisos et al., 2021). This entails a co-production process in project design and planning (selection of sites, adapting participatory methods, etc.), and diversifying expertise to account for and give credit to different knowledges involved, including local and indigenous knowledge.  An important element is to establish diverse and inclusive research teams that actively deconstruct biases so that all team members are empowered participants in developing new knowledge. The FairFrontiers country research teams consist of academic partners, ranging from faculty deans to Bachelor’s students, activists from civil society organisations, conservation practitioners, government officers and village youths. Creating collaborations with inclusive teams require all to practice care with managing power relations, careful listening and a willingness to grow.  We believe that this ethical approach to research can best inform transitions to just and sustainable futures. 

Future tasks