The underlying causes of land use change and degradation are defined by the needs of men and
women. This article focuses on analyzing the elements that define who plays which role in land
use and forest cover change; the net benefits that they derive from current land uses and who will
participate and benefit from the change in land use policies and practices. A total of 178
households which were engaged with the two commodities namely simsim (Sesamum indicum)
and charcoal were interviewed by using a structured questionnaire. All respondents agreed that
unsustainable charcoal making contributes significantly to forest degradation. It was observed
that most of trees which were felled to open new simsim farms were turned into charcoal.
Simsim and charcoal production are practiced by rural poor communities with limited livelihood
options. Both men and women involved in production value chain earned a profit. More youths
are expected to be engaged in production due to high-profit margins of these two commodities.