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COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

For most people living in rural areas, especially the poor, forests and trees are the sources of food, fuel, fodder, medicines, and 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 forest resources, to be part of decision-making in all aspects of forest management.

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Market Analysis and Development ___

Market Analysis and Development (MA&D) is a participatory training methodology that aims to assist people in developing forest-based income-generating enterprises while conserving natural resources.  

***CHECK OUT THE NEWLY UPDATED TRAINING TOOLS HERE***

Forest Connect ___

Forest Connect is an international alliance dedicated to avoiding deforestation and reducing poverty by better linking small and medium forest enterprises to each other, to markets, to service providers, and to policy processes.

Other activities of FAO’s community-based forest enterprise development programme

• Support the establishment and/or reinforcement of Forest Producer Associations for Small and Medium Forest Enterprises
• Contribute to better functioning business development and financial services for SMFEs
• Assist in shaping a more enabling policy environment for SMFEs
• 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 the national level and link  with the Forest Connect international platform