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<H1>Focus on Forum Participants</H1>
<B><I><FONT COLOR="green"><A NAME="rdfn">THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT FORESTRY NETWORK</A></FONT></I></B>
<H2>Communication in action</H2>
<I>by Mary Hobley</I>
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In a rapidly expanding topic such as rural development forestry, it is often difficult to ensure that practitioners have ready access to new ideas and experience. The Rural Development Forestry Network (formerly the Social Forestry Network), was formed in 1985 to fulfil this vital communication role. Initial funding was from the Ford Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation, subsequently it has been funded by the ODA and the European Commission.
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The Network now has over 1800 members in 108 countries, at least
70% of whom are in the developing world where access to up-to-date comparative thinking about specific forestry issues, and to current written materials, are difficult to obtain. The membership of the Network is drawn from a wide range of practitioners: from field staff working on projects and in forest departments, to policy-makers in ministries, and bilateral and multilateral organisations.
While most of the Network members are foresters, other natural and social sciences are also well-represented. To facilitate communication between members, the full membership register is produced and disseminated biennially. Secretariat members also encourage communication during their regular trips overseas.
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The Network aims to enhance changes in rural development forestry through the wide dissemination of rural development forestry experience. Information gathered from the Network members
and from the Secretariat's own field level research is analysed and synthesised. These issues then form the subject of the twice yearly Network mailings with case-studies provided by Network members.
One issue, for instance, looked at the role of non-timber forest products in local economies, drawing on the wealth of Networkers' experience from South Asia and Africa. The use of case-studies from different regions of the world helps to demonstrate the differences and parallels between different social, cultural, economic, and ecological conditions.
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Since rural development forestry is a relatively new area of research and practice in forestry, there is little formally published; most experience is recorded in relatively inaccessible project documents. The Network maintains a library of these materials sent in by Networkers in exchange for membership.
This grey literature collection on rural development forestry is unique in the world and increasing numbers of Networkers and researchers are travelling through London in order to be able to visit the Network Secretariat and use the library. An up-to-date Bibliography is issued from time to time, and within the limits of available resources, Networkers are helped to locate materials.
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The vital link between Networking and research is fostered through the Secretariat research programme which draws on issues which emerge from Networkers. The current work programme focuses on several substantive areas, including: multiple objective management strategies in high rainfall areas, particularly in Latin America;
production of appropriate curriculum materials for forester training; research into the institutional changes implied by a more participatory approach to tropical forestry; and a review of tropical forestry policies of the European Union member states.
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Network funding is currently provided by the European Commission and the Network is continuing to expand into Latin America and Francophone Africa, with Network publications in English, Spanish and French.
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<I>For further information about the Network contact: Ms Ingrid Norton, Rural Development Forestry Network, Overseas Development Institute, Regent's College, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NS. The ODI moves offices in late October 1996.</I>
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<I><FONT COLOR="green"><B><A NAME="care">CARE UK</A></B></FONT></I>
<H3>Conserving natural forest in Uganda</H3>
CARE UK came into existence in 1985, although CARE as an organisation has existed for over 50 years. CARE is best known for its activities and efforts to alleviate poverty and suffering for the poorest of the world's poor. It carries out a number of forest projects.
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Under the Development Through Conservation (DTC) project, CARE has been assisting the Government of Uganda, since 1988, to conserve three unique tropical forests in south-western Uganda - the Mgahinga National Park and the Impenetrable and Echuya Forest Reserves - by integrating management of the forests and the farmlands surrounding them.
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The tropical moist forests in this region merit special attention for several reasons. First, they are remnants of earlier geological ages and thus are sites of tremendous biological diversity. They also harbour almost half of the world's population of the highly endangered mountain gorilla <I>(Gorilla gorilla beringei)</I>.
Second, they provide the local people with a potentially large source of income from wood, herbal remedies, tourism, and other forest products. Third, the forests provide services such as watershed regulation that support downstream agriculture and fisheries.
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These forests are disappearing but their destruction and degradation is not a careless act, rather the agricultural clearing and poaching are acts of people fighting for survival using traditional techniques that with current population levels are no longer appropriate.
The problem the project addresses is how to meet the basic needs of local people while protecting and sustainably managing the forests. CARE assists the Government of Uganda and local farmers to develop management techniques for both natural resource conservation as well as institutional arrangements.
This includes strengthening of Government and farmer institutions to undertake co-ordinated forest management plans and develop technical approaches to sustainable farming systems, as well as training farmers and community based extension agents.
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CARE UK has other forest projects in Africa, these include projects active in Mali (natural forest management), Kenya (agroforestry), Zimbabwe (orchard development and soil conservation), and in Tanzania where CARE is working in the Ngara Refugee Camp assisting with fuelwood collection and management, thus helping to lessen impact on the nearby national park.
A forthcoming project in Lesotho will involve community and social forestry.
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<I>Contact: Tamara Rusinow, Regional Manager for Africa, CARE UK, Dudley House, 36-38 Southampton
Street, London, WC2E 7HE<BR>
Tel: 0171 379 5247.<BR>
Fax: 0171 379 0543.</I>
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<I><FONT COLOR="green"><B><A NAME="sgs">SGS FORESTRY</A></B></FONT></I>
<H3>Applying modern techniques to assist in good forest management</H3>
SGS is the world's largest international verification, testing and certification organisation and operates in 140 countries. SGS Forestry is the group's centre of technical excellence in forestry and wood products and was established to lead the development of services in these fields.
The head office is in Oxford. SGS Forestry specialises in supplying services in: forest management auditing, forest certification (Qualifor), and log and wood product control systems (Logtrak). Technical services are provided in: forest concession management, system design and supervision; forest product pricing; forest revenue collection, system design and supervision; project monitoring and evaluation; and forestry research and development.
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SGS developed its Logtrak programme in 1992. Logtrak is a high technology system, designed to track logs and other wood products throughout the supply chain - from the forest to the final point of sale. This is achieved through specially designed bar coded tags, data capture using handheld computers, and data analysis and reporting using relational databases.
Clients receive accurate and up to date information on quantities, qualities and values which is reconciled against that reported by producers and exporters.
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Logtrak aims to provide an enhanced level of control of wood flows which allows for a more rational use of the forest resource. SGS clients are mostly governments in tropical countries interested in controlling the export of logs and wood products for fiscal reasons; and log production from forest concessions for both fiscal and environmental reasons.
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Two Logtrak projects are now operational: in Cameroon, SGS have signed a contract with the government to monitor the export of all logs leaving the country. The aim is to reduce fraud and increase the amount of tax collected. SGS Cameroon are implementing this project jointly with SGS Forestry. A video on the project is available.
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In the Congo, SGS have signed a contract with the government to monitor the export of all logs and semi-transformed wood products (sawnwood, veneer sheets and plywood). This contract also includes an extension to review the forest revenue system and the
efficiency of government monitoring operations in the forest.
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Logtrak is a technology that is now well-proven under African operating conditions. Equipment and software are constantly upgraded by staff at SGS Forestry in Oxford to continuously improve productivity and client service.
Training packages are available to support personnel development in use and maintenance of the computer system and in the measuring and grading of logs and wood products. Information on international reference prices and market surveys are also regularly supplied by SGS.
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SGS Forestry offers training services in association with the Logtrak project: log and wood product grading courses are designed for field inspectors and are currently run for central African log species as well as sawnwood, veneer sheets and plywood.
All courses are in French and follow ATIBT grading conventions. Log and wood product service development courses are designed to enable interested parties to establish their own Logtrak monitoring service.
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<I>SGS Forestry, Oxford Centre for Innovation, Mill Street, Oxford, OX2 OJX.<BR>
Tel: 01865 202345<BR>
Fax: 01865 790441<BR>
E-mail: sgs.forestry@dial.pipex.com</I>
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<I><FONT COLOR="green"><B><A NAME="tear">TEAR FUND</A></B></FONT></I>
<H3>Planting trees for rural development</H3>
Despite its low profile, Tear Fund is the seventh largest relief and development charity in the UK concerned with aid to developing countries. Only Oxfam, Save the Children, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Cafod and Action Aid are larger.
Tear Fund has an annual budget of over £20 million and is supported mainly by Christians from across the spectrum of Britain's protestant denominations, and works with Christian partners in developing countries.
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About half of the donations to
Tear Fund are spent on long-term development projects which arise largely from local requests and interests. These activities range from preventative health care and primary education, through well drilling and dam construction, to rural development.
Projects total many hundreds and are carried out in more than 80 countries. A dozen or so projects involve forestry, and in total have averaged £0.5 million per annum over the last decade.
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Most Tear Fund forestry projects are in the dry tropics of Africa and six of the largest are in just two countries - Ethiopia and Eritrea. They are mainly concerned with tree planting to provide domestic needs such as building poles, firewood, fodder and fencing materials.
Most also incorporate soil erosion control measures, as well as providing shelter and shade and other environmental benefits. In these countries Tear Fund's partners are the Kale Hywet Church, a local church consisting of some 3000 congregations, and the Faith Mission.
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Tear Fund follows the development policy whereby villagers and local communities express or articulate their development needs rather than have ideas imposed upon them. A local church in its desire to help people who are suffering great privation, may help to facilitate this process of project identification, though usually acts as no more than a sympathetic means of channelling support.
Local participation, and especially recognition of women's roles and concerns, is crucial to the success of social forestry initiatives.
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Tear Fund's oldest community forestry project, begun in 1982, is in southern Ethiopia where more than 800 ha of woodland in a 30 km ribbon beside the Bilate River has rehabilitated eroding land and provided firewood, poles and supplies of fodder for some 17,000 villagers.
Further details of this project can be found in <I>Plantation Forestry in the Tropics</I>, a publication by Professor Julian Evans, Tear Fund's voluntary forestry adviser and member of Tear Fund's board.
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<I>Tear Fund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8QE.<BR>
Tel: 0181 977 9144. </I>
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