Factors influencing the expressed willingness to transition from collection to cultivation of non-timber forest products: The case of Caesalpinia spinosa in southern Ecuador

Planting trees with additional non-timber products (NTFPs) (such as fruits) in agricultural lands is emerging as an important strategy in Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) to enhance the provision of ecosystem services and improve habitat quality. In many cases, the planting of NTFP trees follows a transition from collecting NTFPs in natural forests to integrating the respective trees into agricultural farms with ecological and socio-economic implications. Therefore, understanding the current practice and challenges of current NTFP collection and willingness for cultivation is crucial to effectively use such land-use trajectories for FLR. In this study, we investigate the case of Caesalpinia spinosa (tara), whose fruits provide an emerging NTFP in southern Ecuador. Using household data from 125 households currently collecting tara fruits, we first describe the relatively young production system and then use a Heckman two-step econometric model to identify the factors influencing the expressed willingness to cultivate tara trees on farms and the area to be cultivated. The econometric model results show that the characteristics of tara collection and trade (gender of collectors, distance to the collection site, and management practices) are important determinants of tara cultivation. However, it's the household labor availability and farm characteristics that play a significant role in impacting the willingness to cultivate. The area to be cultivated was mainly influenced by household labor and economic characteristics, and tara collection and trade (management practices) characteristics. Our findings help to understand NTFP-related land-use transitions, thus supporting the design of appropriate and specific policy interventions for the sustainable development of NTFPs. • Tara fruit is an understudied non-timber forest product receiving increasing attention in southern Ecuador. • The Heckman model is used to estimate the factors influencing the transition decision from collecting to cultivating tara. • Tara fruits are mainly collected by women on their own and other lands. • Collection, labor and socio-demographic characteristics influence the decision to cultivate tara on farmland.