Author Elson Dominic

Year of publication 2012

This guide to Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry (ILCF) is an outcome of the Growing Forest Partnerships initiative that engaged The Forests Dialogue to co-ordinate 11 wide-ranging dialogues involving investors, rights-holders, governments, donors and others on this topic. It is primarily a tool for practical action and its advice draws on strong evidence showing that locally-controlled forestry enterprises can be successful, sustainable and profitable for all stakeholders. It offers a market-based view of development, rooted in an understanding of the globalised, free-market economy, and concentrates on a role for SMEs the missing middle of many developing economies. ILCF offers investors secure access, a "social licence to operate", reduced risks and better long term management opportunities, as well as evidence of social and environmental sustainability. Rights-holders gain from reinforced tenure rights that in turn underpin resilient local economies. Governments stand to gain better asset protection, and bottom-up rural economic development that, in time, contributes to tax revenues. Internationally, locally controlled forestry holds the key to a better approach to reducing carbon emissions in the land use sector and thereby offers a way forward for REDD+.