Overview of FAO Forestry’s work on social forestry

Summary

The presentation led by Andrew Taper, Senior Forestry Officer at FAO, provides an overview of the FAO Social Forestry team's work in community-based forestry. It highlights global efforts to involve local communities in forest management, discussing the challenges and successes in countries like Mexico, Nepal, and India. The talk emphasizes the importance of balancing forest conservation with livelihoods, the role of government policies, and the need for sustainable community forestry practices to address issues like biodiversity, ecosystem services, and climate change.

Takeaways

• 🌳 Social forestry focuses on community involvement in forest management and conservation, recognizing that governments alone can't manage forest resources effectively.
• 🌍 The FAO's Social Forestry Team works on various forestry-related issues, including food security, small and medium enterprises, indigenous peoples' rights, gender, and education.
• 👥 Community-based forestry involves a range of models, from government-led participatory conservation to fully private ownership, with nearly one-third of global forests now managed by communities or smallholders.
• 🌱 Success in community-based forestry depends on factors like tenure, governance, regulatory frameworks, technology, market access, and supportive bureaucracies.
• 🇲🇽 Mexico is a prime example, where 70% of forests are community-managed, resulting in increased forest cover, reduced deforestation, and significant social benefits such as improved local facilities and reduced migration.
• 🇮🇳 In India, joint forest management covers one-third of the forest estate, though challenges remain, such as balancing conservation with forest community rights and development needs.
• 🌲 FAO has worked on assessing community-based forestry practices globally, finding that success varies widely by country, with some like China and Vietnam showing positive outcomes in both forest management and livelihoods.
• 🔑 Key components for successful community-based forestry include addressing land tenure, supportive governance, appropriate technology, and viable markets for forest products.
• 🌿 Community-based forestry can deliver environmental, social, and economic benefits if done right, but it requires careful coordination of rights, resources, and governance.
• ❗ A critical challenge in community forestry is ensuring that it's holistic, addressing not only production and livelihoods but also wildlife, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Andrew Taper's presentation?

Andrew Taper's presentation focuses on community-based forestry, highlighting the social forestry team's work at FAO and drawing examples from various countries, especially India. The presentation explores how forest communities can manage forests while contributing to global public goods like ecosystems and biodiversity.

What key responsibilities does the FAO social forestry team handle?

The FAO social forestry team handles responsibilities related to community-based forestry, forest food security, nutrition, small and medium enterprises, forest producer organizations, forest tenure, indigenous peoples, gender, and education.

What is social forestry and how does it differ from traditional forest management?

Social forestry puts people at the center of forest management and conservation, recognizing that governments often lack the capacity to manage forest resources alone. It encourages community participation in forest management through various mechanisms like joint forest management, community forestry, and extractive reserves, as opposed to purely government-controlled approaches.

How much of the global forest estate is managed by communities or smallholders?

Approximately one-third of the global forest estate is managed by communities or smallholders, though this figure varies by region. For example, in Latin America, community-based forestry covers around 30-50% of the forest estate.

What challenges are associated with community-based forestry?

Challenges in community-based forestry include limited rights to forest lands, bureaucracy, insufficient governance, market access issues, and the need for appropriate regulatory frameworks. Despite legal recognition, rights are often poorly documented or protected, leading to conflicts such as land being used for mining.

How does Mexico serve as a case study for successful community-based forestry?

Mexico is a leading example, where 70% of forests are community-managed. The country has successfully transferred forest management rights to communities, leading to forest restoration, reduced deforestation, and increased biodiversity. The government's role has shifted from controller to facilitator, enabling community forestry through payments for ecosystem services and climate change funding.

What are the six key factors for successful community-based forestry?

The six key factors for successful community-based forestry are addressing tenure, establishing an enabling regulatory framework, ensuring strong governance, utilizing viable technology, securing good market access, and having a supportive bureaucracy.

What is the role of community-based forestry in India?

In India, community-based forestry covers about one-third of the forest estate. The country has programs like the Green India Mission and joint forest management to increase forest cover and improve degraded forests. However, challenges remain, including balancing conservation with the needs of forest communities and dealing with legal complexities related to the Forest Rights Act.

What concerns were raised by an audience member regarding community-based forestry in India?

An audience member raised concerns that community-based forestry in India seems to focus primarily on wood production and livelihoods, neglecting other aspects like wildlife management and ecosystem services. They suggested that this incomplete focus could lead to forest degradation.

How does Andrew Taper address the concern about focusing too narrowly on production and livelihoods in community-based forestry?

Andrew Taper acknowledges the concern and explains that under the right conditions, community-based forestry can achieve both economic and environmental goals, such as improved livelihoods and biodiversity protection. He cites Mexico as an example where forest cover and wildlife populations have increased under community management, though the challenge remains to align all necessary factors.