In this issue: forest governance, a China-Africa partnership and messages from friends and partners

News

Thank you for taking part in our survey

Thank you to everyone who took part in IIED's survey on forestry and the Sustainable Development Goals. Watch this space for the published results!

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Training manual and video from RECOFTC

The USAID-funded Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in Mekong (GREEN Mekong) programme has released, 'Improving grassroots equity in the forests and climate change context', to develop knowledge and capacity for grassroots facilitators to conduct meaningful participatory processes. Together with Lowering Emissions in Asia's Forests, they have also produced a training video on gender equity, explaining the concept and outlining best practices.

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CIFOR's T20Q – Top 20 Questions for Forestry and landscapes

CIFOR has put out a global call for the most important research questions on forests and landscapes — but have they heard from you? Make sure your issues, policy concerns and country are represented by submitting your question now.

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Our work

Forest governance grows up

Illegal logging and deforestation-driven emissions cannot be tackled by international analysis or diktat alone. Practical, politically savvy, context-specific tactics are needed. For ten years, the Forest Governance Learning Group, an informal alliance of ten countries, has been working across Africa and Asia to develop and pursue such tactics in the cause of equitable and sustainable management of forests. You can find more information about the impact this work has had, and about how you can adopt and adapt similar tactics, in the two publications listed below.

Out of the success of the Forest Governance Learning Group, the China-Africa Forest Governance Project has now been born. Between 2014 and 2017, IIED will work in China, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Uganda on research, dialogue and joint action. IIED and partners aim to contribute to improving forest governance, by promoting sustainable and pro-poor Chinese trade and investment in Africa’s forests.

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Publications and briefings

Chinese views of African forests

Chinese activities in African forests have a wide range of impacts. In some places, Chinese firms appear to comply with corporate social responsibility requirements and contribute to the welfare of local communities. However, for the majority of Chinese timber companies, responsible purchasing policies have yet to be implemented. This report offers a range of Chinese perceptions on China’s involvement in African forestry.

Battle-scarred forest governance tactics

With the European Union now reviewing its anti-illegal timber programme Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), and with bottom-up forest management emerging as a central thread in international processes for tackling climate change and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), lessons from the Forest Governance Learning Group (FGLG) are especially timely. This briefing highlights impacts, gives key policy pointers and offers proven tactics from ten years of experience.

Social justice in forests: gains made and tactics that work

This report covers the progress, impacts and future plans of the Social Justice in Forestry project of the Forest Governance Learning Group, drawing together studies from each of the country-based teams in Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam; as well as international FGLG work. Through the collaborative approaches to research, capacity building and advocacy highlighted it is hoped this report will offer some answers to the challenges faced in the forest governance field.

Partner spotlight

IIED has worked with Research Institute of Forestry Policy and Information (RIFPI) within Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF) for the past couple of years. Our colleagues at RIFPI provides research support and policy analysis for the State Forestry Administration on a variety of topics including timber trade and investment.

Together with other Chinese partners, RIFPI and IIED hosted the first China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform in 2013 and co-organised consultations on the new Guidelines for Overseas Sustainable Forest Products Trade and Investment by Chinese Enterprises, during which the Chinese authors listened to feedback from various stakeholders including African experts.

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