People and Forests Newsletter December 2017

Dear readers,

The National Assembly in Viet Nam has ratified a draft law on forestry comprising 12 chapters and 108 articles foreshadowing the future of forestry in the country. The Forest Stewardship Council held its first ever Asia-Pacific Business Forum in Ha Noi to connect local suppliers of FSC timber with local and international buyers. Also in Viet Nam, locals in Bac Giang are protesting a move by the local administration to lease 1877 hectares of forest to a state owned forestry company.

The debate surrounding the Cambodian timber trade continues this month. NGO Forest Trends report that Vietnamese customs data shows Viet Nam imported $179 million of timber from Cambodia in the first nine months of the year. Meanwhile in Myanmar, the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) has suspended licensing to all new timber based businesses in a bid to stop rampant deforestation across the country.

With the UNFCCC COP23 being held in Bonn, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) has been an unsurprising feature in the media. In Indonesia, questions remain around how to ensure payments reach the hands of people managing forests at the grassroots. While the International Institute for Sustainable Development reminds us that REDD+ programs must play a central role in climate change mitigation. Whilst CIFOR have published research on rights abuse allegations in the context of REDD+.

A group of Indigenous Peoples from across the globe have been criss-crossing Europe on their way to Bonn raising awareness of their role in forest management. New research showing that indigenous and traditional community management of forests could offer a key to curbing emissions supports this pilgrimage.

ACIAR has published a final report on their project centered on the development of timber and non-timber forest products for smallholders in Indonesia. While CDP has published a report on the business case for corporations to act against deforestation. 

Currently, FAO are running a webinar series on ‘Innovative Approaches for Monitoring Forest and Landscape Restoration’. Later in December, this year’s Global Landscape Forum will be held in Bonn.

Thank you for reading this year, I hope the People and Forests Newsletter has been informative and engaging. In 2018, the newsletter will be edited by a number of guest editors providing specialist insights into specific issues related to community forestry. To start off, next month the People and Forests Newsletter will be edited by our very own Executive Director, Dr. David Ganz, with a focus on human rights.

Sincerely,

Kerry Woodward
Editor, People and Forests Newsletter
kerry.woodward@recoftc.org