December 2018

Forests newsletter

Welcome to the latest edition of the IIED Forest team newsletter.

We are pleased to share an update on the China-Africa Forest Governance project, new publications on the China- Mozambique timber trade and women’s entrepreneurship; and blogs from both Joji Cariño of the Forest Peoples Programme and IIED Forest Team Leader Duncan Macqueen.

Geraldine Warren – forests team

Longread by James Mayers

Finding a green path for China and Africa?

Chinese investment and trade is having a huge impact on African forests. Since 2014 IIED has been leading the China-Africa Forest Governance project (CAFGoP), working with partners in China, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique and Uganda.

Under this project, The China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform was formed in recognition that opinion formers and policy workers in Africa and China need to be better linked in order to shape policy and investment decisions, to ensure good management of forests and the timber trade, and support local livelihoods. IIED produced a ten minute video China’s Investment, Africa’s Forest which tells the story of the Platform so far and a four-minute film about 'Mr Forest' a company which sets an example of responsible Chinese investment in Africa’s forests.

Both videos are also available to Chinese audiences via these links:

Our interactive longread gives a full review of the issues, the project work to date and the way things are heading, the page is also available in Chinese.

Publications and briefings

Research report, 132 pages, by Duncan Macqueen (ed)

China in Mozambique's Forests

This report compiles three years of work of the China-Africa Forest Governance project (mentioned above) to develop evidence on constraints and opportunities for forest resources in productive and resilient land use and trade, to develop capacity and dialogue among relevant stakeholders in China and Mozambique, and to deliver policy and practice improvement opportunities.

Research report, 57 pages, by Seth Cook et al.

Towards legal and sustainable investments by China in Africa’s forests

This report describes the significant progress made by the CAFGoP project in China in key areas: raising awareness among Chinese stakeholders of the need for a legal and sustainable timber trade, improving the evidence base for informed policymaking, increasing dialogue and exchange opportunities between China and Africa, and bringing on board the Chinese private sector to promote sustainable timber trade and other land-use investments.

IIED Briefing paper by Anna Bolin

Transforming gender relations: upscaling collective action in women’s entrepreneurship

In this briefing IIED researcher Anna Bolin describes how the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) has been strengthening gender equality in business by using peer mentoring, business incubation and networking to upscale collective action.

Blogs and news

Blog by Anna Bolin

Biodiversity: a women’s business?

This blog discusses how IIED has been working in the Congo basin and globally with the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) to support people, and particularly women, to develop their own locally controlled forest enterprises through a process called Market Analysis and Development (MA&D).

Guest blog by Joji Carino

Three ‘E’s to guide the post-2020 biodiversity roadmap

As part of the IIED Women champions of biodiversity series, Joji Cariño, senior policy advisor and former director of Forest Peoples Programme, explains why indigenous peoples and local communities should play a key role in shaping the post-2020 global biodiversity roadmap.

Blog by Duncan Macqueen

Locally controlled forest enterprises are the whole enchilada

IIED Forest Team Leader Duncan Macqueen explains the benefits of a locally controlled forest business model being used in Mexico to deliver both profits but also prosperity for the whole community.