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Germany bolsters The Forests Dialogue and IUCN’s global discussion series on REDD+ benefit sharingWith US$ 600,000 in new funding from the German government, the joint dialogue series will expand to bring together international experts over the next three years to tackle the issue of ensuring REDD+ benefits reach the rural poor.

New Haven, CT, USA -Billions of dollars have been pledged globally to support a mechanism that helps developing countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation—also known as REDD+. While REDD+ holds significant potential to mitigate climate change and improve the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities, concerns persist about to how to ensure REDD+ benefits effectively reach the rural poor.

In an effort to address this important challenge, The Forests Dialogue (TFD) has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to lead a series of international dialogues as part of a REDD+ Benefit Sharing Initiative. With US$ 600,000 in new funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) over the next two years, this series will expand to include at least four more international discussions over the next three years that will catalyze one of the largest-scale discussions to date on how to design REDD+ benefit sharing systems that address the needs of the poor. The first of these global dialogues recently took place in Washington, D.C., at the end of March. The background paper and meeting materials are available online.

TFD 4Fs Side Event: FAO Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition

Changing outlooks for food, fuel, fiber and forests: managing the landscape in a time of food insecurity and climate change.

Leaders from the forest sector highlighted the importance of changing outlooks for food, fuel fiber and forests (4Fs) by sharing their experience from the Brazilian context.

Agenda:

3:30    Opening Remarks - Eduardo Mansur (FAO and TFD SC Member)
3:35    TFD and 4Fs Initiative Introduction - Gary Dunning (TFD)
3:50    4Fs Brazil Case and Brazilian Industry Perspective - Carlos Roxo (Fibria and TFD SC Member) (TBC)
4:00    Brazilian Farmer Perspective - Jose Carlos Almeida (JFI)
4:10    Brazilian Government Perspective - Arnaldo Carneiro (Office of the President)
4:20    Brazilian Civil Society Perspective - Miriam Prochnow (Aprimavi and TFD SC Member) (TBC)
4:30    Q&A
4:45    Closing remarks on the potential of integration of forests, agriculture and conservation - Caterina Batello (FAO)

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Panel on Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry – TFD Side Event at UNFF10 in Istanbul 12 April 2013

TFD lead a side event on “Key Findings from TFD’s Dialogues on Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry” at the United Nations Forum on Forests that took place 8-19 April 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey.

A diverse panel of forest stakeholders shared their experience and insights on how to best invest in locally controlled forestry.

Location: TOPKAPI A Lutfi Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Center (LKCC)
Time: 12 April 2013, 18:00-19:30hrs

Moderator: Xiaoting Hou – The Forests Dialogue (TFD)

Presenters and Panel:
Gary Dunning - The Forests Dialogue (TFD)
Ghan Shyam Pandey – Global Alliance of Community Forestry (GACF)
Peter deMarsh – International Family Forest Alliance (IFFA)
Patrick Wylie – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Bjorn Merkell – Swedish Forest Agency (SFA)
Diji Chandrasekharan Behr - PROFOR

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Presentation

Realizing the Potential of Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry - Gary Dunning

First REDD+ Benefit Sharing Dialogue in Washington D.C., United States

ThisDialogue in Washington D.C. was a first scoping exercise for the REDD+ Benefit Sharing Initiative, which aims to develop and understand the current state of REDD+ Benefit Sharing in several key countries and to identify the challenges of designing and implementing those mechanisms more broadly. The REDD+ Initiative seeks to build a “community of practice” among locally-rooted, well-connected REDD practitioners to share experiences and develop practical tools that support effective, efficient and equitable benefit sharing for REDD+. Through the initiative, we expect to promote appropriate economic, policy and institutional arrangements at the local, national and international levels and to facilitate equitable and efficient delivery of REDD+ benefits.

PRESS RELEASE

TFD Welcomes Five New Steering Committee Members

Eduardo Mansur is currently the Director of the Forest Assessment, Management and Conservation Division at FAO and is based in Rome, Italy. Mansur has had a long history at FAO, where he has worked in several capacities since 1984. Mansur holds an M.Sc. in Forestry Economics from the University of Helsinki and a B.Sc. in Forestry from the Federal University of Paraná.

Milagre Nuvunga is the Executive Director at MICAIA Foundation in the UK. As a trained forester, Nuvunga has worked in several capacities for UNDP, WWF and the Ford Foundation. Nuvunga has spent considerable time working in East Africa, where much of her work focused on natural product development, community tourism and environmental justice.

Sara Namirembe has been working for ICRAF as a Research Analyst in Environmental Services since October 2010. Sara has extensive experience in agroforestry and in facilitating landscape-based natural resource management and conservation. Previously, she served as Lecturer and Department Head of Community Forestry at Makerere University and holds a B.S. in Forestry from that same institution. In addition, she holds a Master's in Forestry and Environmental Management from the University of New Brunswick and a Ph.D. in Forestry and Agricultural Sciences from the University of Wales.

Teri Shanahan is Vice President of Sustainability for International Paper, based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Her role encompasses creating and executing a global strategy for the corporation as it pertains to social, environmental and economic performance. Previously, Shanahan has held various positions related to sales and marketing within International Paper since 1991. Shanahan holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Serving as the Director of Forest Action Network (FAN) since 1994, Dominic Walubengo is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Walubengo works with local communities, policy makers and researchers to advocate for an improved policy and legislative climate for the sustainable management of natural resources. Walubengo holds a Ph.D. from Washington International University.

19th Annual Conference of the International Society of Tropical Foresters, Yale Chapter 24-26 January 2013 – New Haven, CT USA

On January 24-26, the Yale Chapter of the International Society of Tropical Foresters will gather practitioners and researchers from academia, government, and environment and development institutions to discuss how development and conservation goals can be integrated across food producing landscapes in the tropics in order to promote food security and healthy forests. The conference will also consider at what scales this integration should occur, potential challenges to implementation, and lessons learned.

Xiaoting Hou will be speaking at the event about TFD’s Food, Fuel, Fiber and Forests (4Fs) Initiative, followed by a workshop on multi-stakeholder engagement (MSE) led by Gary Dunning. Visit the Yale ISTF Chapter Website for a full schedule of events and to register.

Second meeting of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Ad Hoc Expert Group on Forest Financing (AHEG2) 14-18 January 2013 – Vienna, Austria

Gary Dunning and TFD steering committee member Chris Buss (IUCN) spoke at the UNFF Expert Group on Forest Financing, scheduled to take place in Vienna. Dunning’s presentation on “Realizing the potential of investing in locally controlled forestry” introduced the Working Group One meeting on January 16 that seeks to identify national actions and strategies to mobilize financing for forests. Chris Buss addressed, in more detail, ways to implement the guidelines that have been outlined in the recent publication “Guide to Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry”.

Investment In Locally Controlled Forestry: Implementation of the Guide from The_Forests_Dialogue

Guide to Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry

Over the last 3 years, The Forests Dialogue (TFD), partnering with the Growing Forest Partnerships initiative, organized a series of country-level dialogues on the promise of—and challenges to—locally controlled forestry (LCF). The effort engaged over 400 forest owners, investors, NGOs, governments and intergovernmental agencies from over 60 countries. One of the results of this monumental effort is the Guide to Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry.

The new guide presents multi-stakeholder insights along with 17 case studies from across the world, from new to long-established businesses, in both developed and developing countries. It shows how investing in locally controlled forestry offers investors secure access, a “social license to operate,” reduced risks and better long term management opportunities, as well as evidence of social and environmental sustainability.

The guide looks in detail at how to encourage a happy marriage between “enabling investments” that prepare the ground for commercial success and “asset investments” that seek a return, usually as profit or products. The guide also includes a roadmap to successful investment in locally controlled forestry. This covers the business stages of proposition, establishment, validation, preparation, negotiation and performance, with specific advice on addressing the challenges faced by both investors and enterprises.

Download pdf

TFD and the 4Fs Partnership at COP 18 in Doha at the Agriculture, Landscapes and Livelihoods Day 5 – Video

Complex problems require innovative solutions. At the Agriculture, Landscapes and Livelihoods Day 5: Solutions for People in Drylands and Beyond, the natural resource and agriculture community share their solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation in agricultural landscapes. During the Ideas Marketplace, ideas, practices and technologies that are currently underway to address climate change in agriculture were showcased. Among them was TFD’s Executive Director, Gary Dunning, to speak about TFDs 4Fs Initiative and the budding 4Fs Partnership that is currently forming in support of fairer, more sustainable land-use choices. Gary's presentation begins at 6:39 or click here to forward to presentation.

PRESS RELEASE: 7 November 2012

Government of Indonesia to explore ILCF Frameworks Based on TFD’s ILCF Dialogue Findings

Locally Controlled Forestry (LCF) has strong potential to contribute to poverty reduction, forest conservation, and social justice. Spanning over three years, The Forests Dialogue (TFD), with funding from the Growing Forest Partnership (GFP) initiative and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), convened extensive multi-stakeholder dialogues between more than 400 representatives from governments, NGOs, local communities, indigenous groups, business, finance and industry. The findings show that enabling communities to locally manage and generate income from their forests can be a triple win situation for communities, investors and governments. Two publications came out of the global multi-stakeholder effort (TFD Review and the ILCF Investment Guide) and can provide valuable guidance for policy makers.

PRESS RELEASE: 7 November 2012

Four Fs Can Connect Comunities and Corporations For Sustainable Outcomes

Connecting plans for producing food, fuel, fibre and forests offers opportunities for smallholder farmers and large companies to work together towards sustainable development - but this is rarely done, say researchers who hope to address this.

Under the auspices of The Forests Dialogue, they have organised a meeting in Brazil on 11-14 November that will gather stakeholders in agriculture, forestry, biofuels and food security to discuss ways to bridge gaps between sectors and between small-scale and large-scale players.

TFD member James Mayers — who heads the natural resources group at the International Institute for Environment and Development — points out the tension that can exist between these two scales.

“Corporations are good at producing food, fuel and fibre but often at the expense of forests and the local people who depend on them,” says Mayers. “Smallholders need livelihoods and are good at producing things too, but they are sometimes in conflict with corporations.”