Factors influencing forest value orientations among rural households in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Despite many calls for the investigation of households' forest value orientations to inform community-based forest management (CBFM) strategies, research on the subject has remained scanty. This study aims to identify the forest value orientations among rural households in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and determine the factors that influence such orientations. A sample of 153 household heads that were entitled to derive benefits from three community-initiated CBFM programs were asked to rate twenty-one forest products and services on a five-point Likert scale. The study used Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to generate composite indices that quantitatively represent the forest value orientations found among households. Generalized least squares (GLS) was then used to determine the factors influencing the households' forest value orientations. Although most recent studies in developed countries have indicated a shift towards bio-centric forest orientations, for less affluent households such as those in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, anthropocentric values dominate. It was however; found that some cultural/moral/spiritual forest values are becoming obsolete and even antagonist due to the rapidly changing social, cultural and physical environment. Nevertheless, since rural households view forests from an anthropocentric perspective, CBFM strategies in rural areas of developing countries should focus on meeting the anthropocentric needs of the local people by aligning forestry programs with the alleviation of rural poverty.