For most people living in rural areas, especially the poor, forests and trees are the sources of food, fuel, fodder, medicines, building materials as well as cash income
FAO assists people in developing income-generating tree and forest product enterprises while also having greater incentive to sustainably manage and protect those resources.
Community-based tree and forest product enterprises are designed with the help of participatory methodologies such as Market Analysis and Development (M A & D) and operate within the framework of participatory forestry mechanisms that enable those people who have a direct stake in participatory forestry, to be part of decision-making in all aspects of forest management.
Market Analysis and Development
A participatory training methodology that aims to assist people in developing forest-based income-generating enterprises while conserving natural resources.
Forest Connect
An international alliance dedicated to avoid deforestation and reduce poverty by better linking small and medium forest enterprises to each other, to markets, to service providers and to policy processes.
Main activities of FAO’s Community Based Forest Enterprise Development (CBED) programme :
Facilitate training of trainers for enhancing small forest enterprises based on MA&D processes
Stimulate and facilitate the set up of Forest Connect (FC) at national level and link this with the FC international platform
Supporting the establishment or reinforcement of Forest Producer Associations for Small and Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFE’s)
Contribute to better functioning business development and financial services for SMFE’s
Assist in shaping an enabling policy environment for SMFE’s
