Responsible forestry: Community forestry

A bottom-up approach for social and environmental justice

In developing countries globalisation has dislocated traditional systems, impoverishing rural communities but also opening new opportunities to eradicate poverty and increase standards of living.

WWF assists rural community efforts by supporting local and regional integrated development and conservation projects (ICDPs).

Recognizing local stewardship for global benefits
These projects help local communities find new markets for sustainable forest products, and find new ways to acknowledge and compensate the rural poor for their role as stewards of the world's natural environments.

By strengthening local organisations, to broker new land-use agreements between governments and communities, and helping communities challenge encroachment upon their natural resources, ICDPs involve local communities to improve livelihoods and conservation.

Local to regional initiatives
WWF devotes as much as half of its "on the ground" annual budget to ICDPs such as local initiatives in Indonesia, which support a host of local communities to reclaim and sustainably manage their local environments, to multinational projects, like the CARPE programme with activities in the 9 countries of the Congo Basin.

International markets for tropical forest products - both timber - and non-timber-forest-products - are increasingly demanding forest management that reduces impacts on the environment and guarantees sustainability.

Ensuring social and financial security
Well-designed and implemented forest management helps to maintain biodiversity and conserve the natural functions of a forest, while also providing stable incomes for rural communities. Independent certification of local community forests - through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) scheme - provides the guarantees sought by the marketplace and increases the economic security of local people.

Promoting self-sufficiency and economic wellbeing
For the past few years, WWF has been promoting voluntary forest certification among small communities in tropical Latin America. The goal has been to improve self-sufficiency and economic well-being through community-based management of forests, with the aim of acquiring FSC-certification.

However, obtaining the certificate is a costly and complicated business and it can be difficult for small communities to achieve without technical and financial support.