Forest-based enterprise development:From local action to national policyreform

Following the positive outcomes of CIFOR's dry forestresearch in West Africa between 2003-06, the SwedishInternational Development Agency (Sida) is now fundinga second phase of the project.

Titled “Achieving the Millennium Development Goalsin African Dry forests: From local action to national policyreform” the three year project will focus on action orientedresearch in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Zambia. In addition,where appropriate, CIFOR will use the Sida project todevelop links with institutions doing similar research inneighboring countries through other donor agencies.

The overall aim of the second phase is to improve theincomes of the rural poor by strengthening the policy andeconomic incentives for sustainable forest management.

The specific objectives are:

• Adoption of improved forest management and marketing practices for selected forest products that benefit the poor
• Enhanced forest-benefit distribution mechanisms and collective action within local communities that improves the livelihoods of the poor
• Changed perceptions and processes of policy makers towards forest-based poverty alleviation in selected countries, as well as more widely in the sub-regions

As with phase one, CIFOR will use a collaborativeapproach by developing research partnerships withNGOs, forest departments, universities and other relevantinstitutions. The project will:

• Link producers and users of forest products
• Share market information
• Contribute to and make sure local communities get a fair share of the profit
• Encourage decision makers to implement forest-based poverty alleviation policies

Among the project's more important activities willbe its close look at such forest products as resins, gums,honey and bees wax. CIFOR and its partners are supportiveof initiatives that encourage not just the development oflocal production but also, and in particular, enhance thecommercial potential of these products. These includegum Arabic in Burkina Faso, gums and resins in Ethiopiaand honey and bees’ wax in Zambia. As part of this andother phase two activities, CIFOR will regularly convenefarmers' meetings. It seems almost unnecessary to say,but the success of most forest projects depends heavilyon understanding how local farmers perceive their surrounding landscape and how it relates to their lives,their families and their communities.

To ensure the project does not make the commonmistake of trying to re-invent the wheel, researchers willdraw on the knowledge gained from other forest baseddeveloped enterprises in the region and elsewhere.Partner organizations will take the lead role in many ofthe development activities as well as contribute to anumber of the action research components examiningdecentralization, joint forest management and collectiveaction.

Good research also requires good communicationswith stakeholders able to implement the researchfindings. The project team has developed a comprehensivecommunications strategy for ensuring its key messagesreach the appropriate national and regional decisionmakers at key times and key events. The strategy alsoincludes the production and dissemination of trainingmaterials. The project will be run from CIFOR’s West Africa head office in Burkina Faso and its project offices in Ethiopia and Zambia.