African Forest Honey: an Overlooked NTFP with Potential to Support Livelihoods and Forests.

In parts of the developing world, deforestation rates are high and poverty is chronic and pervasive. Addressing these issues through the commercialization of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has been widely researched, tested, and discussed. While the evidence is inconclusive, there is growing understanding of what works and why, and this paper examines the acknowledged success and failure factors. African forest honey has been relatively overlooked as an NTFP, an oversight this paper addresses. Drawing on evidence from a long-established forest conservation, livelihoods, and trade development initiative in SW Ethiopia, forest honey is benchmarked against accepted success and failure factors and is found to be a near-perfect NTFP. The criteria are primarily focused on livelihood impacts and consequently this paper makes recommendations for additional criteria directly related to forest maintenance.

Little details that make a difference: A value-based approach to disaster management.

Even the most prepared organisations are likely to be severely affected during an incident if they fail to recall certain little details. Little details bridge the gap between expected and real future scenarios. They are crucial for the management of natural and man-made disasters and can be considered enablers of success. The existing literature focuses extensively on major aspects of disaster management, including mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, while paying less attention to other details that can contribute positively to the overall success of the disaster and emergency management process. This study aims at: (1) identifying little details that make a positive difference in the event of a disaster; (2) investigating the value of these details to overall disaster and emergency management; and (3) introducing a value-based approach to disaster and emergency management.

The Arabic culture of Jordan and its impacts on a wider Jordanian adoption of business continuity management.

Culture is important to individuals and societies, as well as organisations. Failing to address cultural aspects will hinder the wider adoption and development of business continuity management (BCM) and will subsequently increase the vulnerabilities of organisations to crises, disasters and business interruptions. Three main issues are discussed in this paper. The first is the background to culture and the characteristics of the Jordanian culture. Secondly, the influence of the Arab culture on the wider adoption and development of BCM in Jordan is considered. Thirdly, the paper looks at potential factors that underpin the role of culture in the BCM process in Jordan. These issues are significant, as they represent the characteristics and influence of the Arab culture. This paper contributes to the understanding of the significance of culture in the adoption and development of BCM for organisations operating in Jordan and in the Arab world more generally. It also highlights current cultural changes and trends taking place in the Arab world in a time of huge political instability in the Middle East and Arab countries.