International Workshop “To improve the contribution of Poplars and Willows in meeting sustainable livelihoods and land-use in selected Mediterranean and Central Asian countries” held at the Poplar and Fast Growing Trees Research Institute (PFGTRI), Izmit, Turkey from 27 to 31 July 2009
The Workshop was organized by FAO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Government of Turkey, funded by the FAO-Italy Project GCP/INT/059/ITA and with excellent logistical and administrative support of the PFGTRI and the FAO Sub-regional Office, Ankara.
The meeting brought together 49 key stakeholders from both donor and recipient countries, particularly: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan and included specialists from Belgium, China, France and Italy. Representatives of the International Poplar Commission Executive Committee helped to facilitate the workshop. An observer from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) also attended the meeting.
Following welcome addresses by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, PFGTRI and FAO. Participants from developing countries reported on status, issues, constraints, needs and opportunities for development of poplars and willows in their countries.
Country responses to questionnaires provided additional facts and figures for most countries in the region.
Working Sessions were carried on Tuesday and Friday for participants to prepare project problem and justification analysis and a logical framework of actions based upon country needs. Three working groups were organised mainly according to common regional needs. A total of five project proposals standardized within the Logical Framework Approach were finalized by the three working groups are detailed in tables and reported in the Workshop Report.
A study tour organised by the PFGTRI was conducted during the workshop in the Akyazi and Iznik provinces to demonstrate the role of poplar culture in forestry and agroforestry. Participants had the possibility to visit nurseries, intensive plantations and agroforestry applications of poplar and relate these to their working sessions and project proposals. Of particular interest was a quick tour in the farm of the PFGTRI to visit a collection of poplar clones established in 1959 and left unmanaged and treated over the last 20 years for the lack and absence of funds.
On Friday Plenary Session the five project proposals were presented to the Plenary as the outputs of the workshop. Presentations were given by IFAD on funding programmes and mechanisms for consideration; by the Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Italy on funding programmes in the region supported by the European Union and mechanisms to apply, by FAO on possibilities to work with FAO as technical executing agency and other funding alternatives, and on mechanisms and potential benefits of membership to the International Poplar Commission. Prof Scarascia Mugnozza (Italy) presented background to the next IUFRO meeting on Poplar in Italy, International Poplar Symposium V, that will be held in Orvieto, Italy, September 2010.
Closing remarks were given by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, PFGTRI and FAO.
The report containing all information on the Workshop is available in English (English Version) and in Russian (Russian version). A summary of the meeting is also provided in Italian (Versione in Italiano )