This powerful new book from leading experts provides an in-depth account of how trends towards increased local governance are shifting control over natural resource management from the state to local societies, and the implications of this control for social justice and the environment.

This paper looks at a legal arrangement for enabling forest communities in Ghana to better participate in the benefits generated by timber activities. In Ghana, legislation requires logging firms to commit a portion of their financial resources towards the provision of social amenities to local forest communities. Logging firms must perform this legal obligation by signing and implementing “Social Responsibility Agreement” (SRAs) with forest communities. This report assesses strengths and weaknesses in the design and implementation of SRAs, and the extent to which they have made a difference to forest commun

This report reviews the growing consensus on best practice in small enterprise support, both within and outside the forest sector. It describes how a framework known as ‘market system development’ unites attempts to: strengthen enterprise associations, facilitate better provision of financial and business development services, and improve the business environment. It concludes with specific recommendations for support to SMFEs

This study surveys a thriving, albeit largely informal, SMFE sector in Malawi. It looks in detail at four promising subsectors: timber, cane furniture, tree fruit juices and woodcarving.

The United Nations Environment Programme's flagship magazine for environmentally sustainable development.

Twenty years ago, little was known about the biology, ecology or the social impact of indigenous fruit trees on rural populations. Since then, new concepts and approaches have been developed, case studies have been produced and the potential and feasibility of their domestication and commercialization has been explored. This focused study on the tropics brings together a comprehensive review of this research.

Illegal logging is massively widespread - more than 50 per cent of all timber in some countries - and hugely damaging, yet how can it be tackled without causing poverty in local communities? Written by the world's foremost experts, this book examines the key issues including law and enforcement, supply and demand, corruption, forest certification, poverty, local livelihoods, international trade and biodiversity conservation.

Agroforestry innovations;Agroclimatic zones;Agroforestry research

This paper is for government authorities with responsibility for the forest sector. It aims to clarify what ‘responsible forest business’ might mean. Drawing out four major conclusions, it proposes a bigger and bolder idea of responsibility than many notions of corporate social responsibility. It suggests broader ethical consideration of what business is responsible for, who business is responsible to and over what time frame business is responsible. The paper ends with some practical steps to improve governance towards responsible forest business.