The CIF Programme and its Impact on Forest Fringe Communities

This study takes a look at the Community Investment Fund (CIF) programme as an alternative livelihood strategy for the protection and preservation of the forest and its resources in the Cape Three Points Globally Significant Biodiversity Area (GSBA). The study discusses the perception of local community members on the social and economic impact of the CIF alternative livelihood programme and points to the differences in value placed on the forest and its resources by local communities and the CIF programme taking into consideration the relevance of the forest and its resources to the people and the nation as a whole.