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The authors explore three problems confronting scientists working in the central African humid forest zone and show their interconnectedness in the context of the sociopolitical history of the area. These problems emerge from different domains at different spatial scales: agricultural development, natural resource management, and landscape scale conservation. Land and livelihoods are severely constrained in central Africa. Agriculture is rarely remunerative: prices are low, technology limited, land rights contested, and labor scarce. People turn to “illegal” activities such as hunting, mining, pit-sawing, whisky brewing, and joining militias to make a living. Animal husbandry does not present a widely viable option. Land use planning at “landscape” scale is mooted to protect forests and save animals but it is not likely to address livelihood or governance concerns. Without clear legal frameworks and transparent processes, conflict and landgrabbing will result. Investors and planners should rather concentrate on crafting rural development strategies that reflect both the constraints and the comparative advantage of the central African humid forest zone. Above all, the authors argue, the days of carving out large areas of the forest for private concessions and government use, leaving small contested spaces for the locals, must come to an end.
