Forestry in rural development
Forests and trees have a great, but often neglected, potential to contribute to rural development and the maintenance of a vibrant economy in the countryside. In the developing countries, the forest sector can also have a significant role in poverty reduction and in reducing the vulnerability of rural populations to external shocks, such as flooding and famine.
Forests and trees can contribute in many different ways: providing income and employment in commercial forestry and forest industry operations, as a local and sustainable source of energy, maintaining the fertility and productivity of agricultural soils, and as a source for raw-material for local small-scale industries. Especially in the developing world, forests and trees function as a “safety net” in times of crisis providing food, shelter and medicine. In many countries and cultures, they are also important to the identity, culture and religion of rural and indigenous populations.
To capture fully the potential of forestry in rural development, well planned and coherent actions are needed at different levels. Forest policies, strategies and plans need to be integrated with broader efforts in rural development, such as regional and local development policies and economic and investment plans. Forest land ownership and tenure need to be addressed in a way that is clear, just and can be enforced in practice. Adequate laws, regulations and institutions must be in place to promote good governance.
At the local level farmers, communities, private investors and individual forest owners need the right incentives to make the sustainable management and use of forests and trees a viable enterprise. In the developing world, co-operation programmes and projects need to be effectively and efficiently implemented to deliver the desired results at the local level.
At Indufor, we work within forestry in rural development from the macro policy level (eg, looking at forest strategies in the context of poverty reduction strategies) all the way to the village and farmer level (eg, facilitating the establishment of village forest reserves and small-scale forest based industries, and promoting collaboration between industrial investors and local communities).
Additionally, Indufor provides project and programme cycle management services, including technical assistance and support to the implementation of development co-operation projects in the area of forestry and rural development.
| Contact: | Majella Clarke |
Our services:
- Integration of the forest sector into broad rural development policies, strategies and plans
- Cross-sectoral and macro issues in national forest programs and other sector strategies
- Forest institutions, laws and regulations to promote local livelihoods and rural development
- Incentives for local communities and farmers to promote the sustainable management of forests and trees eg, payments for environmental services, including projects for the voluntary carbon offset markets
- Joint forest management (JFM) and community based forest management (CBFM) systems development, including forestry extension, training and capacity building, and contractual arrangements
- Forest owners co-operation and the development of forest owners associations
- Partnerships between large-scale investors and local communities
- Best practices and appropriate technical solutions for field forestry
