RECOFTCs Regional Experiences with Forest Smallholders

Martin Greijmans 14 November 2013 PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue, Kuala Lumpur

Brief Organizational Background

Mission: Local communities and indigenous people are actively engaged in sustainable management of forest landscapes
Vision: Capacity development for optimum social, economic, and environmental benefits

Engages with various stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, private sector and local communities
Since its foundation in 1987, has trained over 25,000 people from more than 27 countries

3 Guiding Principles

Strong and secure rights

Good governance

Fair benefits

Securing Community Forestry

Enhancing Livelihoods and Markets Transforming Forest Conflicts

People, Forests, and Climate Change

RECOFTCs Functional Approach

Capacity Development Cycle
Training and learning networks

Piloting and demonstrating

RECOFTC Knowledge Hub

Research, analysis and synthesis

Strategic communication

Forest Smallholders

More than 450 million people depend on forests in Asia and the Pacific, earning an income of 20%

Forest-based community enterprises account for 13-70% of all forestry enterprises

ForInfo Project
Teak Collateral
Background: Teak harvested prematurely for immediate cash needs Lack of economic and silvicultural consideration
Issuing Teak Management Certificates: Tree valuation data, Farmer identity, Plot location Information for future planning: thinning plans and thinning products 84

ForInfo Project
Teak Collateral
Outcomes: Smallholders secure clearer tenure rights Longer rotation of teak cultivation, mature trees more valuable Used as collateral for microfinance loans Certification provides stand and financial valuation Improve negotiating power of smallholders

Securing user rights and creating access to microfinance for smallholder teak plantations

FSC Training of Trainers Asia

Aim: Develop pool of local trainers to support and respond to specific needs of smallholders in achieving FSC certification More clearly link certification to livelihoods, value chains, business models, and enhanced market linkages

FSC, PEFC, REDD, FLEGT may exacerbate regulations for communities & smallholders
Different scale of regulatory barriers according to forest type and tenure arrangement

The number of regulations increase along the continuum from plantations to natural forests, while for income per hectare is the opposite (i.e. higher for plantations than for natural forests)
November 25, 2013 87

RAFT and Conflict Transformation

Promote social justice in SFM practices In part by reducing incidence and negative impact of natural resource conflict

RAFT and Conflict Transformation

Approach with RECOFTC: Training of Trainers in Conflict Transformation Build confidence, skills, and connections of practitioners working with timber industry Promoting collaborative management and conflict resolution helping producers attain certification Promoting HCVF as a standard

FLEGT & RECOFTC Thailand

In Thailand FLEGT allows for renewed claim for communities to play a role and become a respected actor in the timber sector RECOFTC is raising awareness of the CF Networks and CSOs about VPA process
Enabling them to participate actively future government-led consultations

Whats Next?
Beyond the forest: Broad landscape approach Link with agriculture and energy policies Improve capacity of small entrepreneurs Business planning & development skills Links to markets, finance, policy processes Ex: Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) collaboration, Ongoing efforts to engage communities and improve role in forest sector RECOFTC brokering PPP processes: collaboration with private sector with increased understanding, mutual gain Ex: Stora Enso

Asia

Forest Connect Asia

Support smallholder enterprises to connect to each other, policies and markets FCA to build enterprise capacity, facilitating and broker linkages, pilot and document best practices in their specific context

Thank You

For further information, please contact

Martin Greijmans
martin.greijmans@recoftc.org
www.recoftc.org