nature’s anonymous donor: the hidden contribution of forests to rural livelihoods

Frances SeymourIFADMarch 4, 2011

Nature’s anonymous donor:

The hidden contribution of forests to rural

livelihoods

Presentation outline

Brief introduction to CIFOR Contributions of forests to rural livelihoods

Wood, food, energy, health Agricultural goods and services Employment

CRP6: A framework for exploiting opportunities and managing risk

Brief introduction to CIFOR

CIFOR…• an international organization headquartered in Bogor, Indonesia• a member of the CGIAR• purpose to conduct research to inform policies and practices that affect

forests in developing countries• staff of about 200 globally• annual budget of about $27 million

CIFOR’s visionWe envision a world where: Forests are high on the political

agenda People recognize the value of forests

for maintaining livelihoods and ecosystems

Decisions that influence forests and the people that depend on them are based on solid science and principles of good governance, and reflect the perspectives of developing countries and forest-dependent people

CIFOR’s research domains

1 Enhancing the role of forests in mitigating climate change

Enhancing the role of forests in adapting to climate change2Improving livelihoods through smallholder and community forestry3Managing trade-offs between conservation and development at the landscape scale4Managing impacts of globalised trade and investment on forests and forest communities5Sustainably managing tropical production forests6

Contributions of forests to rural livelihoods

Net change in forest area 2005-2010(13 million ha lost per year)

Source: FAO Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) 2010

On average, households in forest communities derive 24% of their income from forests – not captured in national accounts

CIFOR’s Poverty and Environment Network study of forest-based contributions to incomes in more than 8,000 households

40 study sites in 25 developing countries Income and other socio-economic and

environmental data, collected on a quarterly basis over a 12-month period

Majority of research carried out by 38 partners (mainly PhD students) from Asia, Africa & Latin America

Launch planned for June 15, 2011 in London

Wood products

Local communities exploit forests for construction timber, poles, boats, tools, baskets, and many other uses

Ulin (ironwood) species identified by local communities in East Kalimantan as one of the most valued forest products

Food Forests provide wild fruits, honey, mushrooms, tubers, grubs, and

many other diet supplements Fish are often the most important non-timber forest product, and

fisheries depend on healthy forest ecosystems

THINKING beyond the canopy

• Bushmeat can constitute up to 80% of the protein and fat in the diets of households in rural areas of Central Africa

• Research suggests importance of bushmeat to AIDS orphans in Southern Africa

Energy

Up to 80 percent of rural energy needs in sub-Saharan Africa are met by fuelwood and charcoal from forests

Health

Forests provide: Access to nutritious food Access to medicinal plants Disease control

THINKING beyond the canopy

Employment

• Research in Cameroon highlights the significance of the domestic timber sector

• Some 45,000 people derive income from the sector

Forest-related employment also includes Gathering non-timber forest

products for sale Household processing

Such employment is especially important for women, as it is compatible with other household responsibilities

Goods and services to agriculture

Forests and trees on farms provide fodder and enhance soil fertility

Forests contain the preponderance of the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity – including wild relatives of important crop species

Forests provide environmental services important to the agriculture sector, including hydrological regulation and pollination

CRP6: A framework for exploiting opportunities and managing risk

CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry

Conceptual framework

Researchthemes

Enhancing management and production systems for smallholders (food security and nutrition)

Increasing income generation and market integration for smallholders

Improving policy and institutions to enhance social assets to secure rights in forest- and tree-dependent communities

Component 1 Smallholder production systems and markets

THINKING beyond the canopy

• Research suggests significant potential to increase the share of value captured by small producers of timber and NTFPs

• Example: Teak producers in Java need

– better information on market requirements, and

– access to financial services

Support to small-scale producers

THINKING beyond the canopy

• Women’s roles in NTFP value chains often invisible

• Danger of marginalizing women’s roles in processing through interventions focused on streamlining production and marketing

Researchthemes Understanding threats to important tree species and

formulating genetic conservation strategies Conserving and characterizing high-quality germplasm of

important tree crops and their wild relatives Developing improved silvicultural, monitoring and

management practices for multiple use Developing tools and methods to resolve conflicts over

distribution of benefits and resource rights

Component 2 Management and conservation of forest and tree resources

CIFOR assisted the Forestry Stewardship Council’s efforts to refine FSC certification standards for small-scale operations with prospective application in Brazil, Cameroon, and Mexico.

Certification

CIFOR research on the potential of multiple-use management focuses on barriers to integration of timber and Brazil nut production in the Western Amazon.

Beyond timber

Researchthemes

Understanding drivers of forest transition Understanding the consequences of forest transition

for environmental services and livelihoods Learning landscapes: dynamics of multi-functionality

Component 3 Environmental services and landscape management

Payments for Environmental Services

Competitiveness of REDD supply Bottleneck: Land tenure “chaos”

Unknown tenure 53%

Indigenous lands 9%

Agricultural settlements 10%

PA for sustainable use 9%

Community lands <1%

Registered properties 1%

Legend

CitiesRoadsState limitsWater

Sources: IBAMA, INCRA 2007, Soares-Filho et al. 2006

CIFOR analysis reveals tenure constraints to PES-based approaches to forest conservation in Brazil.

THINKING beyond the canopy

Tenure Research shows that strengthening community rights to forests

can lead to “win-win” outcomes:

• improved forest condition

• enhanced local incomes

THINKING beyond the canopy

• However, research also shows that communities require:

– Support to defend their new rights, and to mobilize forest resource assets to generate income; and

– Relief from unnecessary regulatory burdens

Researchthemes

Harnessing forests, trees and agroforestry for climate change mitigation

Enhancing climate change adaptation Understanding synergies between climate change

mitigation and adaptation

Component 4 Climate change adaptation and mitigation

Deforestation and land use change contribute 12–18% of the world’s total annual carbon emissions

REDD+ could provide channel significant revenue flows to rural communities

Forests themselves are threatened by climate change

Forests provide an important source of resilience for adaptation to climate change

Risks and opportunities

Learning from REDD: A global comparative analysis

CIFOR research input to the Indonesia – Norway Letter of Intent on REDD

Ecosystem-based adaptation

Joint CIFOR-CATIE research on tropical forests and climate change adaptation in Honduras influenced the design of one of the first projects ever approved by the UNFCCC’s Adaptation Fund Board.

Researchthemes

Understanding the processes and impacts of forest-related trade and investment

Enhancing responses and policy options to mitigate the negative impacts and enhance the positive impacts of trade and investment

Component 5 Impacts of trade and investment on forests and people

Trade and investment

CIFOR research on the implications of biofuel expansion on forests and forest communities

THINKING beyond the canopy

Law enforcement • CIFOR research highlighted danger of local

communities losing livelihood from crackdowns targeting “the little guy with the chainsaw”

Approach: Gender disaggregated data collection and

analysis Gender appropriate research methods Partnerships with key organizations to

build capacity & share knowledge

Example of research:CIFOR study on barriers to women’s participation in forest decision-making and benefit-sharing in Nicaragua and Uganda

Cross cutting themes: Gender

Follows key recommendation from the 2009 social science “stripe” review commissioned by the CGIAR Science Council

Builds on the CGIAR’s comparative advantage to conduct long-term, comparative research

Generates data about the drivers and impacts of land use change, as well as approaches to threats and benefits for environmental resilience and the poor

Integrates research and impact pathways to exploit potential synergies across all CRP6 components

Cross-cutting approach:Sentinel Landscapes

International, national and local partnerships

Levels/Types Research Partners Policy and Practice Partners

Knowledge-sharing Partners

International CIRAD, IRD, CSIRO, Forest Landscape Denmark, IUFRO, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

CPF, FAO, UNEP, World Bank, UN-REDD, IPCC, FSC, IUCN

BBC World Service Trust, Panos, UN-REDD, CPF, IUCN

Regional CATIE, Amazon Initiative, ANAFE, FARA, SEANAFE; ASARECA, CORAF, SAARD, STCP, SA/AP/LAFORGEN

AFF, COMIFAC, Asia Forest Partnership, ECOWAS

RECOFTC, STCP, CATIE

Country or local

NARS, local/national research organizations, FORDA

NARS, government, CBOs, NGOs, private sector companies

Local NGOs and networks, government

Communications and knowledge sharing

“Hurricane” model enabled by increased connectivity

Impact pathway example:climate change

http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/crp6/