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.

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

Main Publications

  • MA&D Manual
  • MA&D Field Facilitators Guidelines
  • Other relevant publications

Links

  • EC project in Central Africa
  • Participatory forestry
  • Rural Finance
  • Forest Connect network website
  • Delicious links

Contacts

Sophie Grouwels
Forestry Officer
Sophie.Grouwels@fao.org
tel. +39-0657055299

last updated: Wednesday, December 16, 2009