Small-scale forestry – here meaning all activities related to forest ownership, management and enterprise – can contribute significantly to social and economic development when the circumstances are right. This issue of Unasylva examines the conditions and support that make it work. We don’t define “small” by numbers, but use the term loosely. Small enterprises, for example, are those with less power, those owned by individuals or communities close to the resource base – those with real potential to contribute to sustainable livelihoods and rural development.
A central message in every article is that supportive policies and legislation and clear, secure forest tenure and forest management rights are fundamental to provide a favourable environment for small-scale forestry. The other key message is that smallholders and small enterpreneurs need one another. Cooperatives and associations enable them to benefit from economies of scale and to obtain the advantages of larger holdings/enterprises – to manage their forests, market their products, obtain financing, achieve certification or share knowledge and expertise.