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Community forests
In addition to working with forest companies to improve the social aspects of their forest management, TFT also works directly with community enterprises towards achieving FSC certification. We use the term ‘Community Forest' to refer to agroforests managed privately by smallholder farmers, natural forest concessions managed by communities, and commercial forest concessions managed through company-community collaboration.
TFT's community forest projects usually require a larger focus on community organizing, organizational capacity building, small business management and market linkage, with a smaller focus on silviculture. In most cases, the communities we work with have already been managing their forests sustainably for multiple generations, but due to legal and market obstacles, have never been able to receive a fair price for their wood. TFT trains the community in how to organize to sell collectively, meet all legal requirements, estimate their harvest and regeneration rates to ensure a sustainable supply of wood, and link to a market seeking high-valued, sustainably produced woods. Through these programs, community members are recognized by government and the market as legitimate forest managers, and more of the funds from wood sales go directly to the people growing the trees.
Community Forests Project Profiles
Successful Sustainable Forests Cooperative (Koperasi Hutan Jaya Lestari (KHJL))
Located near Kendari, in the South Konawe District, SE Sulawesi Province, TFT began working with the KHJL toward FSC certification of community-managed teak in 2004. The KHJL successfully achieved FSC certification in 2005 and presently remains the only FSC certified teak producing forest in Southeast Asia. The KHJL is run completely by community staff, and answers to a member-elected management body. It was founded with an initial membership of 196 individuals covering 152 ha and has now grown to 550 members and an area of 556 ha.
TFT's current activities focus on monitoring, training, supporting program expansion to include more villages, and supporting the cooperative to access management rights for a state-owned forest concession. Support for this project has been provided by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the DOEN Foundation, and multiple TFT Member companies.
Java Community Mahogany (Koperasi Taman Wijaya Rasa (KOSTAJASA))
Based on TFT Member demand for community mahogany in Central Java, TFT began working with farmers growing mahogany in Kebumen District, Central Java Province in late 2005.
The first year of the program focused on understanding the local socioeconomic context, as well as working with communities to document their traditional systems for managing mahogany and identifying any risks to the sustainable production of mahogany. The second year focused on organizing farmers into village groups, agreeing on organizational as well as silvicultural rules for the groups, and linking the community timber production to high-value markets. In the third year, the communities have formed a legal cooperative, have received training in FSC certification, and continue to grow in their capacity to manage their collective business, while improving their mahogany silvicultural system.
Since 2006 Kostajasa has progressed considerably and was awarded Forest Stewardship Council certification in June 2009. Support for this project has been provided by FSC International Global Fund, The Body Shop Foundation, Waterloo Foundation and Crate & Barrel.
Dipantara
Dipantara is a local wood trading business, developing sustainable out-grower schemes with guidelines to influence the communities' sustainable management and replanting of teak. Through this model, Dipantara seeks to become the holder of an FSC group certificate. Dipantara is based in the city and Province of Jogjakarta, but works with community groups throughout Gunung Kidul District.
TFT is working directly with Dipantara, as well as the communities and their teak agroforests, to support the establishment of a viable long term local business in Indonesia. The business will encourage a fair and effective trading arrangement for rural communities, and ultimately provide a lasting incentive to encourage the uptake of sustainable forest practices throughout the region.
Khammouane & Savannakhet
From 2003-2005 TFT supported programs with communities in southern Laos to achieve FSC certification of their natural forest concessions. TFT's continuing work focuses on strengthening market access for the wood species harvested and working with Government agencies to advise on forestry and wood policy.
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Luang Prabang Community Teak
Teak is a tree native to northern Laos but naturally-occurring teak forests have been depleted and the government has now banned logging of teak in natural forests. This has created a strong market for teak grown by smallholders, and the planting of teak has risen dramatically in the last 10-15 years.
This program aims to support communities and the Lao Government to develop a viable, economically sustainable, planted teak industry and improve the livelihood of small teak holders in Northern Laos. The key to achieving these aims will be the establishment of a group structure for sustainably managed teak growers to become Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and to access FSC markets. The program is still in pilot stage, and focusing initially in Ban Gok Gniew, a small village in Northern Laos approximately 10 km out of the UNESCO Heritage listed town of Luang Prabang. The program is managed by TFT in partnership with SIDA, JICA, WWF Laos, the Department of Forestry (DOF) and the Luang Prabang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Forestry (PAFO).
Lao Cai
The Lao Cai District is located on the Red River and Da River watersheds in Northern Vietnam on the border with China. The area is very mountainous and famous for the Sapa region which is a popular tourist destination. In the lower-lying Bao Yen and Bao Thang Districts, TFT is working with state forest enterprises managing acacia plantations with communities, as well as partnering with communities to market acacia grown in nearby privately-owned community forests. TFT will provide training and market linkage to the state forest enterprises and communities, in the hope that they will be able to achieve group FSC Certification for all the Acacia plantations in their districts. This program is still in its early stages.
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