Abstract With the expansion of large-scale forest plantations in developing countries, concerns are rising about their relation and integration with adjacent local communities. Local participation in forest governance can potentially affect the distributional effects of plantations benefits and mitigate their adverse effects. Using data from villages adjacent to plantations in Tanzania and Mozambique, we explore differences in local participation between plantations Our quantitative analyses show that households in villages adjacent to private certified plantations are more likely to have a say in the activities of the plantations than households in villages adjacent to non-certified or state owned plantations. We use insights from access theory to explain our findings: private plantations may have more incentives to involve local people to guarantee their investments in plantations than state-owned plantations. Certification requirements may also strengthen these incentives by requiring plantations to identify and uphold customary rights of local communities. We further found that some social groups (male-headed, more educated and plantation workers) are more likely to have a say in plantations activities than their counterparts. We emphasize that increased and fair local participation in governance of plantations is vital in terms of the sustainability of large-scale plantations and integrating them in rural landscapes. Key words: Forest plantations, local governance, participation, access , Tanzania, Mozambique Acknowledgement :