Month: February 2015

In light of the ASFN partnership, NTFP-EP co-facilitated with RECOFTC, the training, Enhancing Livelihoods Through Community Forestry in Bangkok, Thailand in October 2014. 23 professional trainers and representatives from government agencies and NGOs coming from Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, China, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Malaysia participated in the 1-week training.

The training aimed to provide the participants a venue to explore how Community Forestry could assist livelihoods enhancement of forest-based communities. It also provided the participants with participatory tools to support them in identifying and selecting products or services for community enterprises. The main tools used were Sustainable Livelihood Approach, Value Chain Analysis Tool, and NTFP-EP’s Product Scanning and Selection tool.

The highlight of the training was the visit to the Ban Huay Sapan Samukkee Community Forests where the CF committee and community members warmly welcomed the group with food and drinks harvested from their forest. The visit was brimming with discussion and exchange of experiences on community forestry. Participants were also given the chance to put to use the tools they learned from the training working with existing community enterprises: Decorative Flowers, Wild Mushrooms and Vegetable Crackers.

Ban Huay Sapan Samukkee Community Forests is one of the good examples of community-initiated Community Forest in Thailand. From a sugar cane plantation, the community was able to restore and maintain their forest. Strong leadership and community participation as well as external support are the key factors that contributed to their successful CF.

At the end of the training, participants agreed that with appropriate support, communities could establish and manage strong community forestry enterprises. Participants also learned the importance of starting from market knowledge when selecting and developing a product/enterprise. As one participant said, it’s simple but sometimes it is something we forget when we develop livelihood programs.

Time outside the training also provided a chance for participants to exchange information and experiences. In the end, the training was a valuable opportunity to draw from the experience and competencies of the ASSFC partners to strengthen ASEAN partners and move community forestry forward.

The Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme (NTFP-EP) in collaboration with the ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN) Secretariat has provided a platform for CSOs to effectively communicate their inputs on social forestry (SF) and related issues to ASEAN member states (AMS) since 2011 under the ASEAN Swiss Partnership of Social Forestry and Climate Change (ASFCC).

Through capacity building initiatives, government-CSO multi-stakeholder processes, and research & knowledge sharing, NTFP-EP has enabled CSO participation at national and sub national policy development particularly in the formation of the national REDD+ strategy in the Philippines and the engagement of civil society and indigenous peoples (IP) inputs into the implementation of the REDD+ roadmap and governance structures in Cambodia. In Malaysia, livelihood development as a step wise approach to community involvement in forest management was initiated.

Building on its strengths within the ASFCC programme and as a whole, NTFP-EP’s priority areas in ASFCC-2 would include facilitating the participation of CSOs at local, national regional(ASEAN) levels, livelihood development and policy advocacy on social forestry and climate change (CC). NTFP EP’s priority areas will contribute to ASFCC-2 overall and specific objectives. To continue to promote and enhance civil society (IPs, community forestry groups, women, vulnerable groups) engagement in ASFN, NTFP-EP would contribute to:

1. Mainstreaming social forestry through national, state level community forestry bodies,
2. Assessing and supporting community livelihood adaptation strategies in Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Philippines, Cambodia and Indonesia. Assessing impacts and presenting opportunities for Social forestry within the planned ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Integration in 2015
3. Enhancing the effective engagement of theASFN Civil Society Forum,
4. Implementing a multi-stakeholder approach of the Philippine National REDD Plus Strategy (PNRPS).
5. Facilitating exchanges on inclusive REDD+ process and other SF and CC related themes,

Further, based on recent AMS request, NTFP EP will support efforts in Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam particularly on livelihood based climate change adaptation, and NTFP development.

The training Community Livelihood Assessment and Product Scanning: First Steps to Community Enterprise Development aims to provide communities and organizations with an approach and tools in identifying and selecting products and services with high enterprise development potential as well as in assessing the readiness of the community in setting up a viable community forest enterprise. The training will show how to accomplish this in a step-by-step manner, starting from assessing the livelihood situation, scanning potential products, evaluation of the sustainability of resources, assessing community readiness, and prioritizing and mapping key non-timber forest products (NTFPs).

Content and Learning Objectives
At the end of the training, the participants are expected to have an understanding and basic knowledge in using the following tools:
Sustainable livelihood assessment tool
Enterprise readiness assessment
Resource scanning and mapping and market assessment
Product/Service identification and prioritization
The training consists of a combination of structured learning exercises, lecture-discussions, field workshop. The design of the training is suited for professionals and organizations working with forest-based communities on enterprise development.

Training details and schedule
The training will be held in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It will be composed of 3 days of lectures and hands-on workshops, 1 day of field validation and 1 day of processing and preparing a re-entry plan from 18 to 22 May 2015.
May 17 – Arrival in training venue / Registration and Orientation
May 18 – Sustainable Livelihood Analysis and Enterprise Readiness Assessment
May 19 – Resource and Market Scanning
May 20 – Identification of Sustainable NTFPs and Products/Services
May 21 – Field Workshop
May 22 – Processing, Re-entry Planning and Closing Ceremonies

Course Fee
Regular Package Rate for the 5-day training includes participation fee, course materials, field visits, meals for the duration of the training, accommodation (twin room sharing for 6 nights)** and local flight (Jakarta – Padang, Sumatra and vice versa): 995 Euros

Early Bird Package Rate is available at a reduced cost of 925 Euros to those registering on or before March 15, 2015.

* 5% discount can be provided for group registration of at least 3 participants or to a limited number of participants coming from small, local organizations. Contact us to discuss possible discounts.

** For participants requiring a single room, an additional amount of 20 Euros/night will be added to the fee.

How do I register?
For more information, inquiries, and registration, kindly send an email to exceed@ntfp.orgwith the following information: name, organization, position, and address.

What is EXCEED?
Expanding Community Enterprise and Economic Development or EXCEED is the training and advisory wing of the Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme (NTFP-EP) targeted to support the work of NGOs, government agencies and community-based organizations in Asia on sustainable livelihoods in rural, forest and protected areas. It specializes in community-based non-timber forest products (NTFP) enterprise development anchored on sustainable resource management.
For more information on our track record and trainers, kindly visit www.ntfp.org/exceed

Madhu Duniya, the largest gathering of Asian Forest Honey producers, scientists, supporters and private sector players in the world, is held every four years. It aims to gather various stakeholders to discuss growing trends, challenges and opportunities and share technical and practical knowledge and expertise on forest honey. It seeks to be the platform to promote forest honey as crucial for rural incomes, key for forest conservation and as important for human health around the world and in Asia.

Madhu Duniya was held in India (2007) and in Indonesia (2011) and has resulted in the formation of forest honey networks in at least 5 Asian countries, forging of government permits for forest honey gatherers, inspiring ongoing research on honey for health and medical benefits, and successfully linking private sector partners and producers.

Asian Forest Honey for Good Health and the Green Economy

Forest honey supports incomes of hundreds of thousands of forest dependents in Asia

• The sector has the potential to protect over 7 million hectares of community forests in South and Southeast Asia  through bee habitat conservation

• The sector has the capacity to produce over 2000 tons of forest honey annually from South and Southeast Asia

• The sector has the current and potential capacity to contribute 13 million USD to the Asian economy, not including possible contributions to Europe and other continents

Topic Themes 

• Latest global and international market information on forest honey and the potentials for forest honey

• Rare information on Bee Pollination: the key to food and forest production!

• Understanding how forest honey can make you look younger and healthier

• Market instruments to improve community forestry producers viability in Asia

Who will be there? 

Over 200 participants from the science sector, private sector, government, forest honey producers, intermediaries, civil society participants engaging in the enhanced learning and promotion of forest honey producers and products

What else will you see and do? 

• Product and Knowledge displays of forest honey from at least 7 Asian countries and innovative by-products

• Film festival of at least 10 forest honey films, including award winning films, across Asia

• Honey cycling event in Phnom Penh, energized by honey power sachets

Practical exercises

• Learning about indigenous honey gathering around the Mondulkiri Protected Forest

• Product development- lipbalm making and other health and beauty products

• Beekeeping techniques of a variety of bee species

Madhu Duniya 2015 was made possible through the support of:

NTFP-EP, WWF Cambodia, ICCO, Keystone Foundation, NatureWild, CBHE, MRDC, PFHN, and JMHI

Interested Madhu Duniya 2015 participants may register by downloading the from at: http://tinyurl.com/MD2015RF

Damodar of Bastar is awarded the Paul K. Feyerabend award: A World of Solidarity is Possible

 

He was under the weather when we arrived, but he still welcomed us cheerfully as we entered his house.

 

This man, Damodar Kashyap, was soon to be given the Paul K Feyerabend award for community solidarity. He was being given the award for his commitment to forest protection. As a young educated man, he returned to his village  Karmari, Bastar in the heart of tribal India only to be devastated by the scene of forest destruction that he found there. Forests mean so much to the Bhatara people since 6 months of the year the community fully depends on forests for sustenance.

 

Damodar began  a campaign to protect the 100 acres of sacred grove and rebuild the  350  acres of sal forest that had been destroyed during his time away from the village.  As a strategy, Damodar also revived the tradition of “thengapalli” in which  a decorated sacred pole is carried by three people through the forest as a form of ‘patrolling’. The pole moves from one house to the next each day as people take turns to patrol the forest.  These large patches of forest lie as testament to Damodar’s success in mobilizing the community forest protection. Those caught destroying the forest would be fined 500 rupees,  of which300 rupees would go to the village forest protection program while 200 would go to the patrol guards.

 

Damodar’s actions displeased some ranks and, early on, his life was under threat. But given his stature in the community at home and beyond, he was never touched and he managed to continue his forest protection and planting unscathed. 

 

The Bhatara people in Karmari believe that in the sacred forest dwells the Mauli  goddess. If the sacred forest is damaged, then an illness will befall the village;  offerings must be made to appease the spirits and to heal sick individuals. It is this strong belief in the relation of one’s behavior towards forests and one’s destiny that keeps this spiritual tradition alive.

 

At 4pm after  a  ceremony with the thengapalli pole, dancing with Durwa neighbors who visited with their drums, and a tree planting with other guests, Damodar received his plaque. Many honored him with kind words retelling his feat of conservation. Young children watched on and vowed to also protect the forest for the next generation.

 

It was a beautiful ceremony for a legendary man.

 

“Bhaikaguda”, the part of Karmari that Damodar lives in, translates as “wild cat hamlet”. Damdoar had prevented the wanton destruction of forests auctioned off to external parties and turned the community force into one of conservation. Now the community is lucky live in a place where fruit is abundant, where water is not scarce and where animals merrily co-exist with the humans.

 

Madhu Duniya, the largest gathering of Asian Forest Honey producers, scientists, supporters, and private sector players in the world, is held every four years. It aims to gether various stakeholders to discuss growing trends, challenges, and opportunities and sharre technical and practical knowledge and expertise on forest honey. it seeks to be the platform to promote forest honey as crucial for rural incomes, key for forest conservation, and as important for human health around the world and in Asia.

Madhu Duniya was held in India (2007) and in Indonesia (2011) and has resulted to the formation of forest honey networks in at least 5 Asian coutnries, forging of government permits for forest honey gatherers, inspiring ongoing researcj on honey for health and medical benefits, and successfully linking private sector partners and producers.

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