The goal of this project is to understand the nature of communal resource management in Indonesian villages in Aceh Province, Sumatra. It will provide a detailed focus on a small scale cattle production system that is expanding due to increasing external market demand for beef. The effect of this intensified demand will be analyzed in terms of changes in the communal land tenure system and consequences for environmental quality. Aside from addressing scientific concerns of the stability of communal resource systems and the mechanisms (e.g., indigenous knowledge and household participation) that regulate such systems in the face of external market forces, the information gained should provide useful information for development planners.
