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You are here: Home1 / Briefings

Strengthening the operations of micro, small and medium wood processing enterprises through Good Manufacturing Practices

24 November 2022

This briefing explains how Good Manufacturing Practices can increase the competitiveness and resilience of wood processing MSMEs and provide incentives for them to adopt legal and sustainable sourcing and processing practices. It is based on the experience of the European Forest Institute’s Forest Smallholders Project.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Prasit-helps-out-technical-wood-working-women-members.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2022-11-24 12:24:512022-11-24 13:18:08Strengthening the operations of micro, small and medium wood processing enterprises through Good Manufacturing Practices
Reclaimed timber trader, ThailandEuropean Forest Institute

Promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the Mekong region’s small-scale forest sector

23 September 2022

Women play significant roles in the sustainable management of forests and in forest-related businesses. However, women often do not benefit equally. This briefing analyses the challenges women in four Mekong countries face and identifies how gender equality in the small-scale forest sector can be pursued.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/reclaimed-timber-trader-Thailand.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2022-09-23 16:16:002022-10-14 15:52:37Promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the Mekong region’s small-scale forest sector
European Forest Institute

Improving occupational health and safety among micro, small and medium wood processing enterprises

26 June 2022

This briefing introduces Occupational Health and Safety in the context of the wood-processing industry, it describes challenges faced by MSMEs in the Mekong region and shares training recommendations based on the experience of the European Forest Institute’s Forest Smallholders Project.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Sawmill-wood-village-Viet-Nam-Credits_EFI.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2022-06-26 16:44:002022-10-14 15:49:33Improving occupational health and safety among micro, small and medium wood processing enterprises

Promoting legality within the private forest sector: obstacles and incentives to formalization

2 August 2021

In the informal forest sector, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are often characterised as “illegal”. In this brief, the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme and EFI make a case for acknowledging the complex circumstances of forest-sector MSMEs and argue that if MSMEs do opt to formalise their business, there should be incentives and support to ensure that they benefit from formal status.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cameroon-fao-arielle-nkodo.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2021-08-02 16:13:002022-10-14 15:55:38Promoting legality within the private forest sector: obstacles and incentives to formalization

COVID-19 impacts on wood-based MSMEs in Myanmar

14 October 2020

MSMEs are the backbone of Myanmar’s economy. They constitute 99% of formally registered enterprises and generate significant livelihood and employment opportunities. But the pandemic has had severe impacts on customer demand, revenue, finances, workers and the availability and distribution of raw materials. Myanmar’s MSMEs also face difficulties accessing support from COVID-19 relief programmes. These are the findings of a survey of some 200 MSMEs conducted by the European Forest Institute (EFI) and the Sagawa Institute of Organization Development.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/covid19-impacts-wood-msme-myanmar.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2020-10-14 08:49:002022-04-15 10:32:37COVID-19 impacts on wood-based MSMEs in Myanmar

Supporting forest- and timber-based MSMEs in the Mekong region to operate legally and sustainably

26 August 2020

MSMEs are a vehicle for development and generate almost half of jobs in the formal forest sector globally. They are key to local economies, generating significant livelihood and employment opportunities. Yet the recent economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the vulnerability of MSMEs to sudden market developments. This brief describes the approach adopted by the European Forest Institute (EFI) over the last five years to support forest- and timber-based MSMEs in the Mekong region to operate legally and sustainably. The publication highlights the challenges and solutions tested, and lessons learnt from EFI’s interventions.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Family-run-workshop-Lamphun-Thailand.jpg 629 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2020-08-26 15:10:002022-11-24 13:28:11Supporting forest- and timber-based MSMEs in the Mekong region to operate legally and sustainably
European Forest Institute

Small and micro-sized entities in the Mekong region’s forest sector: a situational analysis in the FLEGT context

17 June 2019

Little is known about wood-based MSMEs in the Mekong region, their characteristics, the number and gender of people involved in the businesses, their supply chains and levels of compliance with regulations. This brief provides analysis, insights and recommendations to improve the position of MSMEs in the Mekong forestry sector. It describes the types of businesses, their size and prevalence in the Mekong countries, how they operate and how they have organised themselves. It also outlines the reasons and consequences for informality, while also looking at the participation and empowerment of women in these enterprises.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/timber-logs-saw.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2019-06-17 09:12:002022-04-15 10:55:32Small and micro-sized entities in the Mekong region’s forest sector: a situational analysis in the FLEGT context

News

  • Husband and wife displaying their products at a trade fair, Lao PDR.Khamphoui SaythalaPromoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the Mekong region’s small-scale forest sector26 June 2022 - 10:42 am

    We have published a briefing paper to analyse how gender equality in the Mekong small-scale forest sector can be pursued through promoting women’s economic rights and empowerment

  • Illustration showing OHS challenges for MSMEs in the wood industryWilfredo Elis / European Forest InstituteImproving occupational health and safety among micro, small and medium wood processing enterprises26 June 2022 - 10:00 am

    We have published a technical briefing to introduce OHS in the context of the wood-processing industry, describing challenges faced by MSMEs and sharing training recommendations based on our experience in the Mekong region.

  • Legality in the forest sector: New insights into obstacles and incentives for MSME formalisation3 August 2021 - 2:45 pm

    In a new joint report, the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme and the European Forest Institute (EFI) make a case for acknowledging the complex circumstances of forest-sector MSMEs, particularly in countries where requirements for legality compliance and achieving formal status are unclear.

  • MSMEs important partner to improve forest governance and reducing deforestation and forest degradation23 July 2021 - 8:10 am

    To better understand strategies to support MSMEs towards goals, the FAO-EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Programme and the European Forest Institute (EFI) hosted a webinar entitled ‘How has supporting MSMEs to operate legally and sustainably improved forest governance and livelihoods?’.

  • Webinar to explore how support to MSMEs improves forest governance and livelihoods13 July 2021 - 8:18 am

    MSMEs play a critical role in meeting the growing demand for timber products worldwide. In an upcoming webinar, the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme and the European Forest Institute (EFI) will host a discussion on how support to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can improve forest governance and livelihoods.

About the Forest Smallholders Project

Since 2016, the European Forest Institute (EFI) has been supporting wood-based micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in four Mekong countries to operate legally and sustainably. Under its Forest Smallholders Project, EFI has been testing solutions to MSMEs’ key challenges in pilot projects. Lessons learnt from these pilots are documented and disseminated nationally, regionally and internationally. Through its support to MSMEs, the Project promotes gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the forest sector.

Disclaimer

This website has been produced with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of funding organisations.

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Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0. Credit information: European Forest Institute, www.efi.int
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