Month: June 2007

Advocacy continues
Despite the postponement of the ASEAN Summit, the 2nd ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC 2) pushed through from 10-12 December 2006 in Banilad, Cebu City. The postponement of ACSC 2 was viewed as an opportunity for participants to refine the statement to be presented to ASEAN in January 2007.  Some gains from the meeting included:
> Expanding the profile of environmental organisations engaging the ASEAN and the ASEAN senior officials on environment (ASOEN)
> Highlighting of the issue of the trans-boundary haze and forest conversion for plantations and its inclusion in the statement to ASEAN
> Forging of stronger links with groups engaging in ASEAN like Solidarity for Asian Peoples Advocacies (SAPA) and Southeast Asian Sommittee on Advocacy (SEACA)
> Forging of stronger links with environmental groups already engaging at the international level and willing to raise nature and poverty issues at that level (Sustainability Watch-Asia).

In January, ASEAN agreed to establish a permanent forum for civil society members.

Sarawak project kicks off
There had been a strong response of Penan communities (Apoh Tutoh, Middle Baram, Sarawak, Malaysia) to NTFP-EP’s initial efforts at increasing awareness and field efforts on developing alternative livelihoods to adddress the threats of expanding oil palm plantations and destructive logging. A recent project possible through the support of NC-IUCN takes a more holistic stance. The project, headed by community development coordinator Dominic Langat, is aimed at securing food supplies, establishing native customary rights and providing alternative NTFP livelihoods of the Penans. Started January this year, the strategy is also aimed at strengthening Penan community leaders so that they may develop their own platform to collectively address their issues.

Coming together for the NTFPs of Latin America
NTFP-EP and Latin American organisations met at two workshops to discuss the Latin American adaptation of the manual Steps to Sustainable and Community-based NTFP Management: A manual developed with special reference to South and Southeast Asia, authored by Virtual academy member Dr. Mary Stockdale. The first workshop hosted by the Universidad Veracruzana was held in in Xalapa, mexico (28 February-3 March) and the second in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil (7-9 March).

The enthusiasm of the group was apparent throughout the discussions. the manual, when adapted to the realities of Latin America and highlighting relevant case studies, is seen as a valuable resource in understanding and better managing of NTFPs in the region. the meetings have resulted in the formation of a Latin American NTFP network, and even greater enthusiasm for further collaboration in the near future. Read more here.

More sweet exchanges
Last december 2006, Bebek of Dian Niaga, marketing arm of the Indonesia Forest Honey Network visited Keystone Foundation in India to learn especially from the Green Shop experience. You can read insights of this trip here.

Meanwhile, Dr. Phung Luu Chinh of the Bee Research and Development Center, Hanoi, Vietnam brought his Apis dorsata honey expertise to the tribal communities of Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri province, Northeastern Cambodia last April. The training raised awareness on sustainable honey production and marketing from Mundolkiri experience on honey. The training was organised by WWF cambodia in collaboration with the NTFP-EP.

Looking 10 years ahead for CBFM
After ten years of implementing Community-Based Forest Management as the Philippine strategy for forest management, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources actively involved the wide array of stakeholders – including other government agencies, non-government organisations, peoples’ organisations, local government units and other partners in community forestry – in a series of workshop-consultations from January to March held across the country. Stakeholders are hopeful that the workshops translate into strategies with greater impact the local level {see article by Abi Aguilar}.

Going natural!
Last March, Higaonon weavers went to Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, the Philippines to join T’boli indigenous weavers to learn more about the use of natural dyes. This is a follow-up to their initial training held by the NTFP Task Force in February 2006.

The use of natural dyes is fast regaining popularity among women weavers of the higaonon indigenous community in Barangay Hagpa, Impasugong. Having shunned natural dyes for the more convenient synthetic commercial dyes, they are now beginning see the benefits of using natural dyes to color their abaca fibers (also known as Manila hemp), which they weave into their colorful hinabol or traditional Higaonon woven cloth. The naturally dyed woven cloths fetch higher prices than those dyed synthetically. Morever, the move has also promoted biological diversity. Ilalama, a tree dye source, is found to be getting scant in barangay hagpa. the women from tugunganon village are now planting this species so they can have continuous source of orange to brown dye color.

Making markets work for NTFPs
The work of NTFP-EP’s partners was recently showcased last 16-20 April in back-to-back meetings at The Hague, the Netherlands. The event was hosted by Cordaid. Of particular interest was how the years of training, exploration and capacity building has borne fruit. Major issues discussed were:
> To what extent can small-scale extraction and processing of forest products help access stable markets and enhance local livelihoods?
> What is the potential of the emerging markets for forest based products in asia, europe and the Netherlands, apart from the Fair trade stores?
> How can the private sector in europe be further interested in such products?

A highlight was the public meeting – with close to 100 representatives of donor agencies, the private sector, and NGOs in attendance. interest was generated of the organisations’ experiences of working in the field of NTFPs, and on the specific NTFPs. this was complemented by a mini-display/store of products, and judging by the enthusiastic response, will gain orders in the future.  NTFP-EP also took the opportunity to discuss future collaboration with Cordaid and other donors, including HIVOS, DOEN, and IUCN-NL.

Synergy and exchange
Last 2-5 May, the NTFP-EP came together with contacts from the Nature and Poverty Southeast Asia and the Pacific Alliance for a regional planning, synergy and exchange in Palawan, the Philippines. Discussions focused on how to maximize collaborative efforts on enhancing the knowledge and learning network on nature and poverty linkages (natureandpoverty.net). Also discussed were common issues such as oil palm expansion, watershed management, and logging campaign; as well as the evaluation of the first phase of N&P. SawitWatch was identified as the host organisation for liaison. N&P, implemented by the IUCN-NL, is a collaborative program in three continents addressing conservation and poverty alleviation in marine and forest ecosystems. the meeting was sponsored by IUCN-NL and hosted by the NTFP-EP.

21 years of BothENDS
During its 21st anniversary, European partner BothENDS invited its partner NGOs to a week-long celebration last March. It also coincided with the launch of the Joke Waller-Hunter Initiative, which enables talented people who work at environmental organisations in the south to develop themselves further. Partners from NGOs and networks in Africa, Latin America and Asia joined in the celebration. {see Vince Docta’s article.}

New book on NTFPs
Last April 20, Madhu Ramnath’s Plants of Bastar: a Fieldguide was launched in the Botanical Gardens of Amsterdam. It was a festive and very well-attended occasion at a location where the author earlier on found inspiration and encouragementmadhu who is currently working as EP India Field Coordinator, has been working on this field guide over the last 15 years.the book was published with financial support from NC-IUCN and the Van Tienhoven Foundation. {Further details and ordering info are available here}

Issue No. 12 – 2007 Jun 28

by Sarim Heang, CAN-DO

The forest, especially non-timber forest products, play a crucial role in supporting forest-based livelihoods. Up to 90 percent of the 83 families in Kres and Kang Koy villages, Kreung indigenous communities lack rice for six months every year. They face food shortages due to low farming yields harvested from their farming fields and increasing population in the villages. Villagers thus have to earn income from some sources, for example, selling their cashew nuts, selling animals and some traditional handicrafts. Unfortunately the limited amount of income is insuffient for the needs of their families.

Increasing demand for cash has resulted in big changes to the traditional agricultural system. Most villagers continue to increase their chamkar (burned farming field) every year in order to plant cashew for cash. The traditional rotation of their chamkar is most likely not possible because their cashew will grow within 3-4 years, therefore they will never cut those cashew trees to grow rice. This practice encourages villagers to clear new chamkar, threatening protected forest areas in their Community Forest Area.

In addition, Community Forest Committee (CFC) members and villagers have been working for already 10 years to protect their forest. Today, there remain pressures and barriers that can only be overcome in the long run. Some stated that they are not as committed as they were before because all that they can do is protection and conservation. Losing the commitment to protect and conserve their forest can cause a threat on their forest, natural resources, and the environment in the future. Villagers now mostly extract forest products, particularly non-timber forest products, for consumption in their families. Very little is for the market (selling some back baskets) because of the lack of technical skills in processing NTFPs and no support from outsiders to establish and coordinate focused NTFP groups in their villages. These two villages are rich in non-timber forest products, particularly bamboo and rattan; and these resources have the potential to contribute to improving their livelihoods and protecting the forest.

In order to bring hope to these Kreung marginalized people, Cambodian NTFP Development Organization (CAN-DO) has been helping them find better ways to make use of the local non-timber forest products for conserving their forest resources and improving their livelihood through the Community Handicraft Initiative Project (CHIP). Traditional arts and crafts of Kreung indigenous people, which have almost disappeared, will be rehabilitated and preserved. More importantly, their traditional crafts will play an important role in providing supplementary employment and incomes to local producers.

We have gone ahead. CAN-DO has been supporting two Village NTFP Enterprises (VNE) in two villages, 30 km from Banlung town of Ratanakiri province since late 2006. There are up to 80 producers (40 women weavers) selected for the two VNEs. There are three main units integrated in the Village NTFP Enterprise (VNE). These three units are included: Indigenous Women Weaving Group (IWG), Bamboo and Rattan Handicraft Group (BRHG), and Savings for self-reliance group (SSG). Local authorities and elders joined the VNE as the advisory group. For the first year, VNE members will be producing indigenous textile, traditional clothing, traditional cottage and musical instruments, and back baskets (kapha) made of bamboo and rattan.

“I really appreciate the values of my traditional crafts and efforts of my wife. Income earned by my wife is very important for supporting my family, for instance, we spend the money on health care, clothes, rice and grocery.” Mr. Sapas Tal said, chief of Kress village.

Helping them help themselves is the core principle in which CAN-DO has been creating market access for their traditional handicrafts, providing basic business literacy, improving product quality and product development. In order to fulfill these roles, CAN-DO is working closely with the Non-Timber Forest Product- Exchange Programme for South and South East Asia, the National NTFP Working Group, and some handicrafts-based NGOs and enterprises in Cambodia. Good cooperation will enable this endeavor to move forward and bring hope for the disadvantaged tribal communities.

Contact:
Cambodian NTFP Development Organization (CAN-DO)
Village Six, Labanseak, Banlung, Ratanakiri, Cambodia
Tel (fixed line): (855) 974 189
Email: candontfp@camintel.com, candontfp@yahoo.com

This year, the EP network has been fortunate to receive funding support from DOEN Foundation in promoting sustainable NTFP livelihoods for its regional partners. though this initiative, more than 5,000 households are expected to benefit from engaging in product and market development of NTFPs. Specifically, it provides revolving capital which is often a bottleneck for community-level, start-up enterprises.

This covers five countries: India for health, beauty and honey products; Philippines for honey, jams, jellies, organic glucose, mineral water and various NTFPs; Malaysia for crafts; Indonesia for handicrafts, gaharu (eaglewood) and related NTFPs; and Cambodia for handicrafts. at the same time, this initiative promotes the sustainable production of selected NTFPs, shifting the paradigm from destructive towards the sustainable management of forest resources.

Since its establishment in 1991, DOEN Foundation has been promoting a liveable world in which everyone can play a part by supporting initiatives that are both enterprising and sustainable through subsidies, loans, guarantees or participations in the areas of sustainable development, culture and welfare.

DOEN Foundation is the fund of the Goede Doelen Loterijen (Charity Lotteries) based in the Netherlands. the foundation focuses mainly on projects that have a strong business base and a clear social component. It puts premium on sustainability and innovativeness by supporting both small and large projects, programmes and organisations, and strongly emphasises the self-activation and independence of the people and organisations steering the initiatives. DOEN Foundation prefers to support those initiatives that seek to preserve as much as possible the social freedom, dynamism and cultural identity of those involved. {Vince  Docta}

After ten years of implementing the Community-Based Forest Management Strategy, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, together with non-government organisations (NGOs), peoples’ organisations (POs), local government units (LGUs) and other partners in community forestry have conducted a series of workshop-consultations to assess the gains and failures of CBFM as a national strategy in forest management.

CBFMS was adopted by the Philippine government as its national strategy for forest management in 1995 to achieve sustainable forestry and social justice. To implement it, the DENR formulated the Strategic Action Plan adopted in 1997. The year 2007 is a crucial year in CBFM as it is time for assessing the past decade as well as to map out plans for the next ten years (2008-2018). This series of workshop-consultations was conducted from January to March in five key cities/towns in the Philippines – Baguio City (29 January – 1 February), Bacolod City (6-9 February), Cagayan de Oro City (19-22 February), Davao City (25-28 February) and Los Baños, Laguna (11-14 March). A total of 116 POs, 52 LGUs, 48 NGOs and 87 DENR participants nationwide have joined in these consultations.

These consultations were crafted in order to gather better outputs from the different stakeholders. Earlier, from 20-22 September 2006, a national workshop on strategic planning for CBFM was conducted. But it lacked the substantial participation of the intended partners such as POs, NGOs and the LGUs. Thus, a series of more participatory workshops was identified to address more specific CBFM concerns coming from the direct players.

The output from the series of workshops is also expected to enhance the output of the first workshop and more importantly, translate strategies into activities at the local level. In addition, NGO CBFM support groups have recognised the need to institutionalize a systematic, sustained and mutually supportive collaboration in the hopes of moving CBFM forward.

With the crafting of the new strategic plan 2008-2018, it is expected that the outputs given by these players will be highlighted and given its necessary response. Despite frustrations, a diminished level of confidence and unmet expectations, every stakeholder remains hopeful that this strategic plan will move CBFM to greater heights in the next ten years.

Contact:
NTFP Task Force, Philippines
Telefax: +63 2 4262757
Email: abi.aguilar@yahoo.com

by Aloisa Zamora-Santos, NTFP-EP

A new film promises to be another thought-provoking piece and aims to contribute to the NTFP-EPs advocacy for sustainable forest-based livelihoods for communities in the region. Like Voices from the Forest, the first film jointly produced by Telapak’s Gekko Studio (Bogor, Indonesia) and the NTFP-EP, this film examines how forest-dependent groups are balancing forest use and conservation, as well as how support groups are working to address threats and challenges.

The film focuses on India, where there are over 3000 species of Non-Timber Forest Produce or NTFPs and nearly 500 million people or one fourth of the population dependent on NTFPs for their supplementary income. Moreover, tribal peoples living in forests in India, and how their survival as a people and as a culture are greatly dependent on NTFPs.

With this film, we have gained the enthusiastic support and experience of Ms. Rita Banerji of Dusty Foot Productions of New Delhi, India. She is well known for her work in the award-winning film “Honey Hunters of the Blue Mountains” as well as other films dealing with conservation and environmental issues.

The rough cut was shown to some 35 Bogor-based NGOs, media, and communication groups last July 12 at the Telapak Café, Bogor. The film is expected to be released by October 2007.

Some stories highlighted in the film are:
•    Improvement of collection, processing and marketing of various NTFPs (wild honey, hirda fruit, mahua, etc.) through the formation of self-help groups, cooperatives and societies, so that tribals get a better price for their products.
•    The complexity of Indian legislation in  all aspects of NTFPs and how tribals are losing out to government and traders.
•    The setting up of a mahua bank, a response to the disfunctional state-owned buying centers and the restrictive legislation because mahua is also made into a traditional liquor. The bank allow tribals to deposit and withdraw mahua flowers as per their need, and allows them to sell the flowers when prices are high.
•    A sal (teak) plantation that is a people’s initiative, a forest regenerated by the people themselves, has provided a stable livelihood for an entire community. Sal leaves are made into traditional plates, widely used in India for large social gatherings.
•    A community-based processing center for amla (Indian gooseberry), and the improvement of processing through better technology, has significantly increased the efficiency of production of amla products, translating into better incomes.
•    The setting up of Green Shops by the Nilgiris-based Keystone Foundation has provided a much needed marketing link for the many tribals’ NTFPs.

by: Andhika Vega Praputra
translated by: Widya Lastiana Hasan

“Voices from the Forest: Livelihood and Conservation through NTFPs in India” is a film by Gekko Studio in collaboration with the Non Timber Forest Product Exchange Programme for South and Southeast [NTFP-EP] and Dusty Foot Productions, New Delhi, India. The film’s premiere was held on July 12th, at Kedai Telapak, Bogor. The film, which has a duration of 45 minutes, raised the issues of the dependence of almost 500 million of India’s population on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP).

About 3000 kinds of forest products in India bring benefits to the local community, “The economic value of the non-timber natural resource are used in balanced according to conservation values. ” said Aloisa Zamora Santos, an information staff at NTFP-EP.

The film comprehensively reveals the use of NTFPs in India. It also gives description on the production process to the traditional marketing of the products by the various indigenous communities that live around the forest in India. The low selling price of the raw material, limited knowledge in the production process, and limited infrastructure are the obstacles in the marketing of the non-timber forest products in the country with a population of about 1.01 billion. The same condition also applies to Indonesia.

The documentary may be called ‘half-finished’, because the first stage editing process had just been finished 30 minutes before premiering. This event was also an opportunity for discussion between viewers and the film’s creators. The inputs from viewers are accommodated to improve editing that is currently continuing. The film itself will be completed in October 2007.

————–
“Voices from the Forest: Livelihood and Conservation through NTFPs in India”, sebuah film garapan bersama Gekko Studio-Indonesia Non Timber Forest Product Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia [NTFP-EP] dan Dusty Foot Productions, New Delhi, India. Pemutaran perdana film tersebut bertempat di Kedai Telapak, Bogor, Rabu 11 Juli lalu.

Film yang berdurasi sekitar 45 menit itu mengangkat tentang ketergantungan hidup hampir 500 juta penduduk India terhadap hasil hutan bukan kayu [HHBK]. Sekitar 3000 jenis hasil hutan di India dimanfaatkan masyarakat lokal. “Sumberdaya alam selain kayu yang bernilai ekonomi itu dimanfaatkan secara seimbang sesuai dengan nilai kelestarian,” ujar Aloisa Zamora Santos, staf informasi NTFP-EP.

Film ini bercerita secara menyeluruh tentang pemanfaatan HHBK di India; dari hulu hingga ke hilir. Digambarkan juga tentang pengolahan hingga pemasaran hasil secara tradisional yang dilakukan masyarakat adat yang tinggal di sekitar hutan India. Rendahnya harga jual hasil mentah, keterbatasan pengetahuan dalam pengolahan, dan keterbatasan infrastruktur merupakan penghambat dalam pemasaran hasil hutan selain kayu di negara berpenduduk 1,01 miliar itu. Hal yang sama juga terjadi di Indonesia.

Film dokumenter itu masih terbilang ‘setengah matang’, karena hasil suntingan sementara film baru selesai 30 menit menjelang ditayangkan. Kesempatan ini juga digunakan sebagai ajang urun rembug antara pemirsa dan pembuat film. Masukan dari para penonton ditampung untuk perbaikan penyuntingan film yang masih terus berlangsung. Film itu sendiri baru akan rampung sepenuhnya pada bulan October 2007.

by Norlita Colili

Personal reflections on her participation in the Pandanus Master Workshop in Bidor, Perak, Malaysia on 4-6 June 2007

It took us about three hours to get from Penang to Bidor and we arrived at the village at about lunch time. After short greetings, our host in the community led us to their tribal hall where the workshop was to be held. A few participants had already arrived that morning, while others still had to be picked up by Joanna from their villages. Later, some more delegates also arrived and finally Reita Rahim of Gerai OA, with her variety of mats with so many designs.

The workshop was casually opened in the evening of Sunday with each participant introducing themselves. Each one had to show a product that she had brought and tell about it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any product to show, except those that Margiolina Sueno (Manang Inday) had brought from Negros. There were many communities represented in that workshop including Manang Inday and myself from the Philippines. Each community has one master weaver and one novice weaver; I belong to the latter.

When I looked at the mat weaves that Reita had brought, they were not new to me anymore. I have seen some of those weaves in my own village in Amas, Brooke’s Point in the province of Palawan; which is just about few miles only away from Malaysia. But still, I was so amazed with the designs and what struck me most was that the pandanus strips that the Orang Asli used were so fine. The Orang Asli look so familiar to me as well, except that I don’t understand their language (I can only guess a few words really). Joanna had to translate almost the whole conversation from time to time. After a few days, my head ached already, so I talked less and less already, that sometimes I told Joanna, that “Well I think I understand a bit what’s going on, I can guess some words already, it’s the same with my language.” But the truth was, I didn’t want it to be translated into English anymore.

The Orang Asli are similar to the Pala’wan, my own tribe. Though typically they are shy women, the Orang Asli are rightly proud of their indigenous knowledge and skills in weaving variety of designs using different variety of pandanus. The designs were also familiar to me; some of them were the same as those that my tribe is using in weaving traditional rice basket or tingkop, as were the matapuney, and siku-kerwang weaves. The matapuney design symbolizes the eye of a bird called puney in Pala’wan;with a very shiny greenish and bluish feathers and lovely looking eyes. The siku-kerweng design, meanwhile, symbolizes the elbow of the kerwang, a bird similar to an owl.

Though, weaving is not my career, I am interested in preserving this indigenous knowledge and skills, these traditional arts and designs that my tribe has, and pass it on to our next generation. Manang Inday was also fascinated with the designs that she had seen. She said that her group back in Negros is not using traditional designs in their mat weaving. Most of their products were made-to-order by their identified market or buyers, using simple designs. They are weaving not just for tradition but also to meet their income needs.

For me, the workshop was so enriching. I have learned to appreciate my own culture even more, encouraging me to love the traditional arts and designs that my tribe has. I envision in helping pass on this tradition to the next generations.

Back home in the Philippines, I brought with me some samples of the Orang Asli’s products to show to my tribe. I also shared my learnings to the pandan weavers of Maasin, Quezon, Palawan, one of the partner communities of NTFP-TF in its Crafts Program. I have also encouraged women to continue with their weaving by showing them the small mat that Lei, a master weaver from Tasek Bera tribe wove for me during the workshop. I have likewise encouraged the children in Amas, Brooke’s Point, Palawan to start learning how to weave. I have demonstrated them how to weave a pandan book marker, which I learned from Pinta, Rosiah and Maznah of the Hma’ Meri tribe during the workshop.

My late mother taught me how to weave when I was 10 years old. That was long long ago, but I can still read the weaves until now! (Except the “crazy weave.” which literally means a weave by a crazy person. It goes so many different directions, making it hard to follow by an ordinary weaver. Only master weavers can do it easily without getting a headache!)

The workshop was filled with fun and excitement to learn more other designs. It was not just merely a workshop but also more of learning how to express appreciation of one’s culture, it is true that there is no culture that is inferior to another culture. It was an exchange of knowledge – a humbling experience to see master weavers willing to share their knowledge and learn from each other.

CONTACT: Norlita Colili
c/o NATRIPAL
Macaoili Road, Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa City 5300, The Philippines
Tel/Fax: +63 48 4336573
Email: norlicolili AT yahoo.com