Voluntary planted forest guidelines bring together principles that apply to planted forests grown to fulfill productive functions for provision of wood, fibre and non-wood forest products or protective functions for provision of environmental and/or social services. They cover all aspects of planted forests, from policy development and planning, through technical considerations of plantation management and supply chain links to marketing, industry and trade. These guidelines are non-legally binding in nature and were developed to link international, national and local enabling environments. They have been tailored for policy, planning and management decision makers in the Government, private sector or non-governmental organizations to balance the social, cultural, environmental and economic dimensions of planted forest management and to increase their contributions towards sustainable livelihoods and land use.

These guidelines are intended particularly for planners in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries subsectors who are concerned with development planning and natural resource management in marine coastal areas or in areas adjoining large inland water bodies.

This training package examines conflict within forest resource use and community-based forest management and offers strategies for managing it.

This training package examines conflict within forest resource use and community-based forest management and offers strategies for managing it.

This guide offers practical guidance on how to establish and manage a process of consensual negotiations involving multiple stakeholders in collaborative natural resource management and other livelihood projects.

This guide suggests ways to design and implement forest-based interventions that have the greatest potential to reduce poverty. Areas for action include timber production in both natural and planted forests, non-wood forest products, woodfuel, bushmeat, agroforestry and payment for environmental services. For each topic, the guide outlines key issues, summarizes successful case studies and identifies sources of additional information. The document highlights the importance of using participatory approaches and of tailoring activities to local circumstances. Emphasis is on making changes that will improve the livelihoods of people living in or near forests, and on helping users to gain a better understanding of the forms of rural poverty and of how decisions made at the local level affect segments of poor rural communities in different ways – women, children and the elderly being the most vulnerable. The guide will be of interest to forestry and rural development practitioners and the communities they serve, including district forestry officials, extension workers, local planners and administrators, and owners of small-scale enterprises and their employees.

This manual provides public sector decision-makers with a broad framework for planning and implementing actions to improve legality in the forest sector. It took stock of the knowledge and experience at country level, and a critical overview of some present best practices for good governance in the forest sector.