The depletion of rattan stands is the biggest single threat to the rattan industry, and this threat has brought more demand for policy reforms that will promote conservation. Growth of sustainable rattan enterprises compete with a reliance on traditional unsustainable agriculture. The project's design was based on the assumption that communities would shift away from unsustainable farming practices if and when natural products enterprise activities became more profitable in comparison. Because of the importance of traditional rice farming in the project area, however, it is not yet clear whether the community will actually make this transition. Lessons Learned Offering assistance to prescreened groups enhances the project's cost-effectiveness.
Quality control is increased through standardized measurements.
Rather than focusing on exact metric measurements, the project began to provide molds and samples for orders, which could then be easily and accurately replicated. Third National Rattan Conference Proceedings. Kilmer, Gary, et al. An Analysis of the Subsector. Koontz, Ann. 1996.