Monday” April 23 – Two side-events at the UN Forum on Forestshighlighted the importance of community forestry and small-scale forestenterprise for sustainable development and local well-being.

In one room” the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and RRI hosted a panel and discussion on “Small Forestry Enterprises: Drivers of Sustainable Development?”

Smalland medium forest enterprises typically comprise the majority of forestenterprises in developing countries. They are an important provider ofemployment and other livelihood benefits” especially in the rapidlyexpanding areas of forest owned or managed by communities. But theirpotential contribution to poverty reduction and ecological integrity isoften overlooked. Policy processes” business support and marketmechanisms are often dominated by larger” better-connected forestindustries” to the detriment of SMFEs. This side event explored whatcan be done to reconnect SMFEs to policy processes” business supportand market mechanism” showcasing practical case studies from Africa andLatin America. Presenters included Duncan Macqueen of IIED” Andy Whiteof RRI” Janette Bulkan of Yale” Steven Ngubane of Forestry SouthAfrica” and Ing. Luis Barrera Garabito” Director of the Forest Agencyof Guatemala. (More >>)

Next-door” the International Family Forestry Alliance (IFFA) and the Global Alliance of Community Forestry (GACF)hosted an event titled “Family and Community Forestry: theircontribution to sustainable forest management” development andwell-being of local communities.”

GACF and IFFA areinternational networks of community and family forest owners”representing forest users from different parts of the world. The sideevent presented the contributions of these two types of forestownership to sustainable forestry and development of local communities.It also discussed the role and possibilities for family and communityforestry forest owners within the UNFF framework. Presenters andspeakers included Tiina Vahanen of the FAO” Ghan Shyam Pandey of Nepaland the GACF” Bob Simpson of the International Famiy Forestry Alliance”Andy White of RRI” and Gunilla Reischl from the Swedish Institute ofInternational Affairs. (More>>)