In this issue... REDD+ event, food vs. forests and democratic forest business

The forests newsletter is sent out quarterly with updates on our work to improve forest livelihoods and ensure forests are managed in a fair and sustainable way.

News and blogs

Event

Engaging men and women in REDD+ business: effectively addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation

3 - 4 December 2015 at the Mercure Paris La Villette Hotel, Paris

This workshop will bring together leading REDD+ experts and use research to:

Inform a wider debate on how REDD+ is contributing to addressing the drivers of land use and land use change.
Look at shared lessons of working at subnational level from Mozambique, Nepal, Tanzania and Vietnam and enriched with insights from elsewhere brought by panellists, chairs, discussants and the audience.
Consider how to capitalise on the roles that different actors including private sector, men and women play in the process.

To RSVP or for more information please contact Tessa Jennett: tessa.jennett@iied.org

New network aims to connect locally controlled forest enterprises across Africa

The African Forest Enterprises Connect Network (AFECONET) has been set up to connect and support locally controlled forest and farm producers.

Zero deforestation supply chains: promoting sustainable chocolate

How can we make chocolate more sustainable? This was one of the questions addressed by IIED researchers at the World Forestry Congress in Durban.

Our work

Food Demand and Forests in Sub-Saharan Africa

Domestic food supply in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will need to triple by 2050. Historically increased food production has, in the majority of countries in SSA, come more from expansion of cropped area than yield increases. But SSA countries have also committed to substantially reducing and, in some cases halting, deforestation by 2030. IIED is leading research to understand better the existing trade-offs between food and forests and the implications for land use policies based on each country’s political, economic, demographic and ecological context.

Increased food supply can be achieved through imports and waste reduction but combined with yield increases this will still be nowhere near sufficient to meet a tripling in demand. Agriculture will continue to expand in SSA. Therefore, at the likely expense of forests, trade-offs will be needed between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of ending hunger and conserving forests.
Contact: Phil Franks or Xiaoting Hou Jones

Publications and briefings

Food vs forests in sub-Saharan Africa: a challenge for the SDGs

Domestic food supply in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will need to triple in the next 35 years. But SSA countries have also committed to reducing or halting deforestation this briefing explores the potential trade-offs. The tripling of food supply cannot be achieved solely through imports, waste reduction and yield increases. Agriculture will therefore continue to expand in SSA, at the likely expense of forests, and trade-offs between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of ending hunger and conserving forests need to be recognised.

REDD+ and the private sector: tapping into domestic markets

UN’s REDD+ framework must engage with a wide spectrum including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, as these usually dominate in forest- and agriculture-based economies. This briefing presents experience from Tanzania and Mozambique which shows existing policies and laws can support national REDD+ efforts to engage the private sector at scale. But strengthening policy and providing more targeted support would accelerate economic and environmental gains.

Democratising forest business: a compendium of successful locally controlled forest business organisations

Forests have to cater to numerous and growing needs for local goods and global goods. Reconciling competing needs is best handled democratically. The challenge is to understand how the democratisation of locally controlled forest business can be made to work economically. This book presents 19 case studies from 14 developing countries that show how local people have been democratising forest business.

Democratic forest business models: a harder but more rewarding path

With decreasing forest landscapes, governments are faced with two contrasting business models: the profit-maximising or locally controlled forestry (LCF), run democratically to sustainably meet various local needs. A compendium of 19 case studies illustrates the viability of this second approach and reveals the structures enabling LCF businesses to survive and compete. In this briefing we explore how these findings can now guide the scaling-up of democratic business models.

Tropical forests for sustainable development: Shaping our post-2015 future with knowledge from the field

28-30th January 2016 in New Haven, Connecticut

The 22nd Annual International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF) Conference is organised by the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. IIED’s James Mayers and our partner Milagre Nuvunga, Executive Director of the MICAIA Foundation will help shape and contribute to this timely discussion as key note speakers.
Registration is open and below are two opportunities to participate in this timely discussion on the role of tropical forests in sustainable development:

Call for Building Block Talks (due November 30th)
Call for Innovation Prize Applications (due November 29th)

Partner spotlight

Enviro Legal Defence Firm (ELDF)

The Enviro Legal Defence Firm (ELDF), India’s first environmental law firm aims at mainstreaming the discipline of environment and development law, resolving conflicts over natural resources and strengthening environmental jurisprudence. ELDF is an independent team of erudite legal professionals, which provides services to governments, non-government organizations, educational institutions, individuals, private and external agencies engaged in areas of environment and development law.

Forward