Between a rock and a hard place: The burdens of uncontrolled fire for smallholders across the tropics

Background

The growing prevalence of uncontrolled tropical landscape fires significantly threatens tropical forests and causes substantial social and economic burdens. These burdens continue to be largely overlooked in favor of aggregate-scale losses like climate change and biodiversity, despite the severe local impacts on smallholder farming communities across the forested tropics. Furthermore, people often unfairly portray smallholders as the primary culprits of fire contagion due to their customary fire-based agricultural practices. This narrative is rooted in colonial-era condemnations.

Goals and Methods

The primary goals of this research were to reveal how uncontrolled fires burden smallholder land managers, and to contrast the risks and realities of uncontrolled fire with smallholders' dependence on intentional fire. To achieve these goals, the authors analyzed the dominant discourse on tropical fire and their empirical findings through an environmental justice lens, specifically focusing on the dimensions of recognition and distribution. They utilized empirical data from four case studies in three countries: Brazil, Madagascar, and the Philippines. The researchers employed multiple data collection methods between 2004 and 2018, including household questionnaires, structured interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions. The analysis aimed to provide a pan-tropical snapshot of smallholder realities in the context of fire, rather than a direct comparison between the cases.

Conclusions and Takeaways

The study's primary finding highlights the substantial, yet frequently overlooked, burdens that uncontrolled landscape fires place on smallholder farmers. These burdens encompass material losses, non-material impacts on well-being, and the difficulties that arise from prohibitive fire policies. The research reveals a disconnect between the prevailing narrative that blames smallholders for fires and the reality of their reliance on intentional fire for food security. This disconnect is especially significant given the increasing landscape flammability driven by broader factors. The authors conclude that contemporary smallholders find themselves trapped between a rock and a hard place, as they navigate risky fire conditions under unfavorable policies that fail to recognize their realities and provide adequate support. The study proposes that future work should prioritize recognizing the diverse perspectives and values associated with fire and landscapes and advocate for a shift towards co-designed, equitable, and fire-resilient practices that acknowledge the environmental justice dimensions of flammable landscapes. By bringing visibility to local burdens and understanding the complexities of fire use, policymakers can avoid harmful outcomes and better support marginalized communities.