Hundreds of millions of people in the tropics need both wild harvests and other forms of economic development for their well-being

Hundreds of millions of local people in the tropics harvest food, firewood, and other products from unmanaged (or “wild”) forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, and seas. Yet global demand for resources, and proposals for large protected areas, are set to reduce the local availability of these wild products.

Many people argue that local wild harvesters can be sufficiently compensated by investing in better infrastructure, improving skills, and creating alternative sources of income. However, new evidence calls for caution in assuming that wild harvests can be so easily substituted, especially in the short term. While improved access to infrastructure, markets and skills is beneficial, it needs to be balanced with continued access to wild harvests if the well-being of all groups is to be protected—especially among more remote, marginalized, and poorer communities.