The XIV World Forestry Congress (WFC) will be held 7–11 September 2015, in Durban, South Africa. The WFC will be a key occasion for the world’s foresters and forest supporters to gather, to share their expertise and experience, and to project a new vision for the future of forests and forestry. The central theme of the WFC is ’Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future.’
RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests will be actively participating in the WFC, together with representatives of smallholders, indigenous peoples and community forestry members from Asia, to ensure that the voices of local communities are heard at the Congress. RECOFTC and its partners are supporting six local community members from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam to participate in the WFC, who will communicate the messages developed by local communities at the The Asia pre-World Forestry Congress regional meeting on people and forests, held in Bangkok in July.
A highlight of RECOFTC's activities at the WFC is the side event, I am the Forest, where local community members will illustrate how they are delivering on sustainable forest management in the region, and specific actions and investments needed to scale up community forestry in Asia, in an innovative multimedia presentation developed together with the internationally recognized director Rojana Chuasakul, winner of the Cannes Grand Prix Lions award, London International Grand Prix award, Clio award, and more. Click here for the side event agenda.
Presentations
RECOFTC will present at the following WFC plenary sessions, side events and discussions. For the further details, and the full WFC schedule, see: http://foris.fao.org/wfc2015/programme/date. Plenary session will also be webcast at: http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/world-forestry-congress/webcasting/en/
| Title | Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
Pre-Congress event: Building momentum for community-based forestry, forest and farm producer organizations This event will be in part facilitated by Ronnakorn Triraganon, RECOFTC, and include the participation of local community members from Asia A press conference will be held 8:30-9:00 on 6 September | 5-6 September | 8:30-17:30 | Hall 2C |
Side event: Democratizing forest business: Investing in successful locally controlled forest business models This IIED-led event will include the launch of a compendium of best practices, which includes two cases in Asia from RECOFTC, including 'Doi Chang Coffee Farm: A case study on a family-run coffee enterprise in northern Thailand'. Martin Greijmans, RECOFTC, will facilitate the plenary discussion. | Monday 7 September | 12:45-14:15 | Hall 2AB |
Side event: Tree landscapes and certification: Exploring the role of forest certification beyond forests RECOFTC is a partner in this PEFC-led event | Monday 7 September | 12:45-14:15 | Room 11D |
Parallel session, sub-theme 1: Forests for socio-economic development and food security: Building enabling policy environment for communities and forest-farm producers Tint Lwin Thaung, Executive Director, RECOFTC, together with Theya Chaw, indigenous peoples representative, Myanmar, will be key note speakers Webcast available here. | Monday 7 September | 16:15-18:15 | Plenary Hall |
Side event: 40 years of community based forestry – status, impacts and trends Tint Lwin Thaung, Executive Director, RECOFTC, will present on 'Drivers of change for community based forestry in Asia' | Monday 7 September | 19.45-21.00 | Room 2AB |
Side event: Highlighting Forest Culture & Art: An Evening of Forest Culture Ms. Theya Chaw, Naga ethnic group member from Layshee township, Sagaing region, Myanmar, will be a panelist at this event. Ms Chaw is a trainer with RECOFTC's Grassroots Capacity Building for REDD+ project | Monday 7 September | 19.45 to 21.00 | Hall 3A |
If trees could talk…Improve your communications - A practical session of expert news and views - for non-experts The Asia-Pacific Forest Communication Network will take part n this FAO event | Tuesday 8 September | 10.30-12.30 | Hall 3BC |
Video screening: How money can grow on trees: Documenting plantation ownership and trees as collateral The video highlights lessons from RECOFTC's ForInfo project, which aims to maximize benefits from teak plantation management by supporting smallholder plantation certification and linking them with micro-finance schemes. | Tuesday 8 September | 12.00-1.00 | FFF Pavillion, Exhibition Hall |
Strengthening Forest Users Associations and Securing Community Forestry Rights Local community members from Asia will present their messages at this GACF, FECOFUN and RECOFTC joint event. | Tuesday 8 September | 14.00-16.00 | FFF Pavillion, Exhibition Hall |
Event: Forests and Water Dialogue - World café on forests and water Ronnakorn Triraganon, RECOFTC will discuss 'Forests and water: A synthesis of the contemporary science and its relevance for community forestry in the Asia–Pacific region' | Tuesday 8 September | 16:30-18:30 | |
Side event: I am the forest – forest smallholders, community forest members and indigenous peoples in Asia Local community members from Asia will present how they are delivering on sustainable forest management in the region, and actions and investments needed to scale up community forestry in Asia, in an innovative multimedia presentation developed with the internationally recognized creative director Rojana Chuasakul, winner of the Cannes Grand Prix Lions award. A Q&A panel will follow, featuring local community members and Tint Lwin Thaung, Executive Director, RECOFTC This side event is led by RECOFTC, together with its partners: Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP); ASFCC (ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change); COFSUN (Community-based Forestry Supporter's Network Nepal); CSDM (The Center for Sustainable Development in Mountainous Areas); FECOFUN (The Federation of community Forestry Users Nepal); FFF (Forest and Farm Facility); GACF (Global Alliance of Community Forestry); HIMAWANTI (Himalayanan Grassroots Women’s Natural Resource Management Association); IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development); NTFP-EP (Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme); PEFC International (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification); TNC (The Nature Conservancy); RRI (Rights and Resources Initiative) | Tuesday 8 September | 18:15-19:30 | Room 11 CDE |
Side event: Global Forest Indicator Forum: promoting sustainability through criteria and indicators Chandra Silori, RECOFTC, will be a panelist at this FAO-led event Webcast available here. | Tuesday 8 September | 18:15-21:15 | |
Side event: Landscapes and livelihoods: Forests and farm producer organizations share their stories This TBI and ETFRN-led event will include a launch of a new report that includes research from Asia conducted by RECOFTC: 'Building blocks for viable community forestry enterprises: Community forestry principles' | Tuesday 8 September | 19:45-21:00 | Hall 2C |
Side event: Vibrant and thriving social forestry in Southeast Asia for investing in a sustainable future RECOFTC is a partner at this ASFCC-led event | Tuesday 8 September | 19:45-21:00 | Hall 3A |
Parallel session, sub-theme 3: Critical insights into resilience Chandra Silori, RECOFTC, will present his paper 'Grassroots facilitators as agents of change for promoting sustainable forest management: Lessons learned from REDD+ capacity development in Asia' | Wednesday 9 September | 10:45-12:45 | |
Sub-theme 6: Improving governance by building capacity, session 3: Connecting local and global governance – building capacity to implement the post-2015 development agenda Nguyen Quang Tan, Vietnam Country Program Coordinator, RECOFTC will be a key notes speaker presenting on “Grassroots facilitators as agents of change for promoting sustainable forest management: lessons learned from REDD+ capacity development in Asia. Webcast available here. | Wednesday 9 September | 10:45 – 12:45 | Hall A1 |
Side event: Unlocking the real value of forests through strengthening locally controlled forestry Martin Greijmans, RECOFTC, and Mr. Krirk Meemungkit, forest farm smallholder and branch manager of Tree Bank, Srakaew province, Thailand, will be panelists in this PEFC-led event | Wednesday 9 September | 12:45-14:15 | |
Parallel session, sub-theme 6: Improving governance by developing capacities Ronnakorn Triraganon, RECOFTC, will co-facilitate 'Focus topic 3: Improving forest governance by strengthening public forestry institutions' Webcast available here. | Wednesday 9 September | 14:30-16:15 | |
Palrallel session, sub-theme 6: Improving Governance by Building Capacity Doris Capistrano, RECOFTC Board of Trustees Chairperson, will be a panel speaker on 'Improving forest governance by strengthening public forestry institutions' Webcast available here. | Wednesday 9 September | 15.00-17.00 | |
Youth Special Event: Forests for the future: The role of youth engagement and education to benefit people, climate and nature Krengkrai Shechong, indigenous peoples representative and youth movement leader, Thailand, will be a panelist at this event. He will discuss how the preservation of traditional knowledge and youth education is key to the future of forests; and practical examples and lessons learnt on using traditional knowledge to address environmental challenges. Webcast available here. | Wednesday 9 September | 16:00-18:00 | |
Side event: Forest Governance, Assessment and Monitoring Doris Capistrano, RECOFTC Board of Trustees Chairperson, will be a moderator at this FAO-GIZ-PROFOR event | Wednesday 9 September | 19.45-21.00 | |
Side event: Leveling the playing field for legal trade: Scaling up what works, perspectives from the Asia-Pacific region Ronnakorn Triraganon, RECOFTC, will be a apnelist at this RAFT-led event | Thursday 10 September | 12:45-14:15 | Hall 2C |
Side event: Policy dialogue on social forestry in Southeast Asia RECOFTC is a partner of this ASFCC-led event | Thursday 10 September | 12:45-14:15 | Hall 1B |
Transforming Forested Landscape Conflict in Asia: A Capacity Development Approach Ronnakorn Triraganon, RECOFTC, will present on this new RECOFTC paper. | Thursday 10 September | 16:15-18:00 | FFF Pavillion, Exhibition Hall |
Exhibition booth
RECOFTC is located at booth No. H7, DHC Hall 1&2. The booth will serve as RECOFTC’s hub for disseminating our message for this event: To ensure a sustainable future, investing in natural capital must mean investment in social and human capital. It is local people who can sustainably manage natural resources if they value them – and they will value them if they benefit from them. For more information on WFC exhibitions,see: http://webapps.daff.gov.za/wfc2015/English/Documents/Exhibition_Floorpla...
About WFC 2015
The XIV World Forestry Congress (WFC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will be held 7-11 September 2015, in Durban, South Africa. The WFC will be a key occasion for the world's foresters to gather, to share their expertise and experience, and to project a new vision for the future of forests and forestry. The central theme of the WFC is 'Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future.'
People and forests in Asia: Investing in social and human capital is an essential part of investing in natural capital
As poverty is still more prevalent in rural areas where natural capital is relatively high, it is essential to enable the rural poor to convert natural capital to other forms of capital in a sustainable way. Thus, empowering local communities by investing in tenure rights and appopriate regulatory and supporting frameworks to achieve sustainable forest management is essential. Investing in social and human capital is an essential part of investing in natural capital and ensuring a sustainable future. It is local people who can sustainably manage natural resources if they value them – and they will value them if they benefit from them.
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