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Tag Archive for: domestic markets

COVID-19 takes a heavy toll on Myanmar’s wood-based micro and small businesses

14 October 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is exacting a devastating toll on wood-based micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

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. Members of the Myanmar Arts and Craft Association and the Wood-Based Furniture Association were surveyed as part of EFI’s Sida-funded work in support of forest- and timber-based MSMEs in the Mekong region.

Furniture workshop’s owner in Thaketa Township, Myanmar. Source: Agus Djailani, European Forest Institute.

The MSMEs were surveyed nationwide in August 2020, most of these micro and small businesses. The survey found that COVID-19 had forced most enterprises to stop or permanently close their business. A staggering 33.6% of respondents closed their operations permanently due to the crisis, while 65.2% stopped them temporarily.

As a way forward, an EFI briefing recommends that industry associations collaborate with the Government to ease the challenges that MSMEs face in distributing products and purchasing raw materials from official sources. The associations should also assist their members by providing documents and sharing information to help them access short- and long-term financial loans. Finally, associations have an important role to play in supporting business registration and licensing of informal enterprises to enable them to access COVID-19 relief programmes.

Read the briefing:

  • COVID-19 impacts on wood-based MSMEs in Myanmar
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 11:34:002022-04-18 09:04:24COVID-19 takes a heavy toll on Myanmar’s wood-based micro and small businesses
Mangkol Wandee measures a treeSomporn Khongthanakrittakorn, European Forest Institute

Trees give small farmers in Thailand access to loans

2 April 2020

The EU FLEGT Facility has published a story describing how farmers in Thailand are starting to reap the benefits from international timber trade talks between Thailand and the European Union.

Mongkol Wandee measures a tree. Source: Somporn Khongthanakrittakorn, European Forest Institute

Until recently, forest laws put limitations on farmers around the harvesting and transportation of certain tree species. Organisations such as the Private Forest Plantation Cooperative Limited – a cooperative of tree growing farmers and private land owners – used the trade talks to push for amendments to forest laws to improve the situation for farmers. 

In 2019, the Thai Government changed regulations regarding the use of trees on private land. Farmers can now legally harvest all trees on their land and get additional income from them without burdensome paperwork and/or field inspections.

Read the story

  • Homegrown trees provide additional income in Thailand
https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Mangkol-Wandee-measures-tree-Thailand-VPA.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2020-04-02 11:53:002022-04-18 09:17:53Trees give small farmers in Thailand access to loans

News

  • Rujinaree Ar-lai shows her wood lamp product made from wood waste.Konwilai WongyothChampioning gender equality in the small-scale forest sector8 March 2023 - 8:21 am

    On this year’s Women’s Day, the Forest Smallholders Project is highlighting the importance of gender equality in the small-scale forest sector. Gender equality is a crucial factor in creating a sustainable and equal future.

  • 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?’.

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.

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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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