Rome, 9 november 2023. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published guidance to help small and medium-sized forest enterprises plan how to manage forests so they continue to provide a wide range of products and services for generations to come. The Guide to multiple-use forest management planning for small and medium forest enterprises offers step-by-step guidance for planning how to manage forests sustainably to meet specific environmental, economic, social and cultural objectives. It shows how small and medium-scale forest managers can address administrative, economic, legal, social, technical and scientific aspects of forest management, applying globally recognized standards.

This publication fills the gap for guidance for small and medium forest enterprises, who tend not to have the resources to develop detailed management plans and often face barriers such as policies that do not recognize their role, rights or needs and difficulty accessing support and finance. Good forest management planning can potentially help them overcome these barriers and increase the monetary value that communities, managers and owners obtain from forests as well as ensuring forests are managed sustainably.

Forest management planning is essential for sustainable forest management, contributing to the well-being of communities, the environment, and the economy. This guide provides a framework for forest management planning, guiding forest managers through the planning process and providing advice on information sources needed during the planning process. The framework can be adapted to national and local contexts in line with relevant regulatory requirements. It is already in use for projects in Armenia, Myanmar, Lebanon, Tanzania and the Near East and North Africa.

Photo credit: ©FAO/KWC