Summary
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Bishnu Hari Pandit; Adrian Albano; Chetan Kumar. 2008. Improving Forest Benefits for the Poor. Learning from community-based forest enterprises in Nepal. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia. 47p. ISBN 978-979-1412-37-7.
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Summary: This study documented effective practices of community-based forest enterprises (CBFEs) in improving profitability, income distribution, and forest resource sustainability. 28 CBFEs representing different enterprise models and products were selected as case studies. The study demonstrated that effective practices of CBFEs could be looked at differently with how the constraints are classified. The study looked at the constraints and practices of the CBFEs from three different perspectives: enterprise models, forest product, enterprise function; although with greater attention to the different enterprise models – following establishment of FUGs and their expansion into networks, cooperatives, or companies. Forest user groups (FUGs) have limited bargaining power due to their limited scale in terms of membership and land area, and a good practice minimizing this constraint is their networking into inter-groups or larger organization. Networks need to be registered as a cooperative or company in order to do business as a group and engage into formal transactions with buyers, suppliers, and support providers. Effective practices to include and benefit the poorest within the CBFEs were identified such as enabling them to buy shares in the cooperative or company; offering them employment and labour opportunities such as collection of NTFPs and factory labour; and increasing their representation in FUG executive committees. Recommendations include replicating the effective strategies and practices identified and detailed in the study including federating and formalizing LFUGs or CFUGs into networks, cooperatives or private companies – whichever is appropriate; adding value to forest products; and building the capacity of not just the CBFEs and their networks but also government line agencies and business services providers. Download:
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