Domestication of Trees or Forests: Development Pathways for Fruit Tree Production in South-east Asia - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 77

plants. However, in case of good commercial prospects near cities, they may be
gradually transferred into mixed fruit-tree plantations (Verheij, 1991).
The various types of durian exploitation systems are not just production systems,
but also have important social functions. The development of access and use rights to
wild trees forms a component in the territorialization strategies of local communities and
households (Peluso, 1996). In areas with more intensive durian production, the guarding
and collection of ripened fruits is often a joint activity of the tree owner, relatives and
friends (Goloubinoff and Hoshi, 2004). In West Java, the trees serve as a form of
financial security for owners who may pawn trees from homegardens (Dury et al ., 1996).
These examples demonstrate that the process of domestication does not only involve a
change in tree characteristics and production systems, but also the incorporation in
socio-economic networks.
Although the incorporation of the durian in forest and homegardens illustrates its
popularity in mixed production systems of multi-enterprise households, horticulturists
have claimed that the trees usually have a low productivity, which keeps up the price and
limits consumption. This is related to the irregular fruiting cycle; it can be improved
through manipulation of the growth rhythm of the tree, thus extending the harvest
season (Subhadrabandhu et al ., 1991). This production-oriented view on the need for
further specialization in cultivation is in accordance with the view that 'in a typical home
gardening situation, where everybody grows fruit but nobody is a fruit grower, the
traditional expertise is dispersed in the community and much of it is latent, i.e. not put to
use … It is difficult to take stock of local knowledge as long as it has not yet been
accumulated by professional growers' (Verheij, 1991).
However, several authors have recently suggested that durian production in mixed
multistoreyed cropping systems is a promising multifunctional production system for
meeting several newly arising concerns. Four major arguments have been brought
forward for considering such production systems as being adjusted to both social,
environmental and production demands rather than only forming an 'intermediate'
position in the process of co-domestication of forests and trees:
1. The mixed production systems, yielding a multitude of products for use in the
household and generating cash income, have an important role as a 'safety net' in times
of hardship and hence play an important role in the coping strategies of rural people,
contributing to livelihood security (Brodbeck et al. , 2003). Thus, these systems can play
an important role in programmes for poverty alleviation.
2. Rather than considering that the management of forest and homegardens is based
on a low degree of professional knowledge of fruit production, it can be considered
that it represents a profound knowledge of maintaining multi-species production
systems. For instance, Salafsky (1995) demonstrated that durian producers have
accurate perceptions as to how ecological factors influence durian production in forest
gardens.
3. The forest garden systems can play an important role in the conservation of
biodiversity (Marjokorpi and Ruokolainen, 2003). Consequently, they could play an
important role in the management of buffer zones around protection areas (Aumeeruddy
and Sansonnens, 1994).
4. Establishment of multi-stratum fruit-based systems incorporating durian can
contribute towards the sequestration of carbon dioxide, while providing a positive
financial return (Ginoga et al. , 2002).