25 June 2021, Rome – Local producers are a vital part of forest education and well-placed to spearhead learning exchanges and training in their communities. That message came across loud and clear at the International Conference on Forest Education last week. The conference, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Tropical Timber Organizations (ITTO) and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), brought together people from all walks of life. 

Although formal forest education – from primary school to universities – faces many challenges around the world, there are some local success stories, where active communities have made a real difference. Representatives from producer organizations in Kenya, Tanzania and Latin America highlighted positive examples of forest learning, with an emphasis on valuing traditional knowledge and inspiring young people.

Theodora Pius from MVIWATA – a national farmers’ organization which brings together small holder farmers from all over Tanzania – explained that his group had been involved in forest education and extension services since it was established in 1993. More recently, they have raised awareness of climate change and its effects and helped farmers learn how to become more climate resilient. They also operate a strong “train the trainer” programme through which local knowledge is cascaded more widely. Importantly, they share both traditional, inherited knowledge and new skills and practices with others. The southwest area of Mavala has been particularly successful. This land was previously bare, but, through community forest education, local people learned the skills to establish a nursery and the area is now home to a thriving forest. 

Geoffrey Wanyama, CEO of the Farm Forest Smallholder Producer Association of Kenya (FFSPAK), highlighted the need for local community forest education to appeal to younger generations – the forest guardians of tomorrow.  “Investing in digital platforms is very important as it is very attractive to the youth and very crucial in knowledge sharing and learning as far as forest education and extension is concerned,” he said. 

FFSPAK has been organizing exchange visits to promote farmer to farmer learning and knowledge exchange. For example, they have been supporting the Sigor Youth Group in the Rift Valley to start a nursery. This really improved these young people’s lives. The group markets their seedlings online through a Facebook page where they have many clients, and they are now able to generate an income from the land. As Caroline, one of the young people involved in the project, explains, “Before we started the project we used to rely on our parents for basic needs provision but at the moment we are able to cater for on our own". 

 Similar success were heard from AMPB – the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests – that represents producers from across Central America including Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama and Costa Rica. Heylin Sánchez explained that, in these communities, forest education initiatives are focusing on the preservation of ancestral knowledge. They hold cultural knowledge workshops and listening meetings with families and the elderly to share knowledge about traditional crafts and traditional medicine, especially with the younger generations. Knowledge about traditional planting systems is particularly valued and passed on, but new technology is also welcomed.  

David Kaimowitz, Manager of the Forest and Farm Facility programme, underlined the strength of community forest education, saying, “The power of involving local communities in training is that they speak the same language as their members, and they are more trusted than outside professionals. This is especially important when it comes to Indigenous Peoples and other groups, who may speak different languages and have very different cultures from the majority of formal sector forestry professionals.”