Tropical timber industry in Gabon : a forward linkages approach to industrialisation

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dc.contributor.authorTerheggen, Anne
dc.date.accessioned2013-06-14T15:16:38Z
dc.date.available2013-06-14T15:16:38Z
dc.date.issued2011-03
dc.description.abstractThe breadth and depth of forward linkages in the tropical timber industry of Gabon is a result of three inter-acting drivers: the nature of final markets, ownership of production, and sector-specific policy. The Forestry Code set explicit domestic processing targets built on the trajectory of French processors. Still, while this is theoretically in line with European market demands for wood products, the forced beneficiation resulted in Chinese, Malaysian, and Gabonese producers, whose prime activity is the exploitation of logs for processing industries in China, to limit their participation in forward linkages to the sawnwood sub-sector, characterised by low entry barriers and negative producer margins. Gabon's comparative advantage lies in the exploitation of its natural resource tropical timber for export markets. Logging is also a 'superior' technology allowing the appropriation of resource rents. These are largely diluted in processing due to production cost penalties such as high reservation wages, inadequate infrastructure, lack of skills, and the political economy of Gabon. The conflict between the envisaged forward linkages approach to industrialisation (in light of falling oil reserves), industry actors' market focuses, motivations, and capabilities, as well as conclusions drawn about comparative advantages and linkage-blockages, has significant consequences for industrial development.en
dc.formatTexten
dc.format.extent1 digital file (55 p. : ill.)en
dc.format.mimetypeApplication/pdf
dc.identifier.isbn978-1-77011-241-4
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10625/51389
dc.identifier.urihttp://commodities.open.ac.uk/discussionpapers
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherThe Open Universityen
dc.relation.ispartofMaking the Most of Commodities Programme (MMCP) discussion paper / University of Cape Town and Open University; no. 10en
dc.subjectTROPICAL TIMBER INDUSTRYen
dc.subjectGABONen
dc.subjectINDUSTRIALISATIONen
dc.subjectLOGGINGen
dc.subjectRESOURCES EXPLOITATIONen
dc.subjectOVEREXPLOITATIONen
dc.subjectPHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTUREen
dc.subjectFORESTRY INDUSTRYen
dc.subjectPUBLIC SERVICESen
dc.subjectPRIVATE SECTORen
dc.titleTropical timber industry in Gabon : a forward linkages approach to industrialisationen
dc.typeWorking Paperen
idrc.dspace.accessIDRC Onlyen
idrc.project.componentnumber105107001
idrc.project.number105107
idrc.project.titleMaking the Most of Commodities Program (sub-Saharan Africa)en
idrc.rims.adhocgroupIDRC SUPPORTEDen

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