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You are here: Home1 / timber legality

Tag Archive for: timber legality

Monruedee Taemduem poses next to the tree she tagged.Somporn Khongthanakrittakorn

The road to equal opportunities in Thailand’s forest sector: Women engage in tree planting and timber processing for sustainable livelihoods

13 December 2022

A training organised by the Forest Smallholders Project of the European Forest Facility (EFI) in a small village of the Lampang Province north of Thailand has provided women with the skills they need to engage in family timber businesses and play more diverse roles, thereby contributing to more sustainable livelihoods.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Monruedee-poses-tree-tagged.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2022-12-13 10:43:182023-11-23 11:49:49The road to equal opportunities in Thailand’s forest sector: Women engage in tree planting and timber processing for sustainable livelihoods

Strengthening the ability of smallholders in the Mekong region forest sector to operate legally and sustainably

13 April 2022

This event will bring to life experiences and lessons learned from tackling the challenges smallholders face to operate legally and sustainably in the forest sector in the Mekong region. The event will explore ways to strengthen the technical and operational skills of smallholders and create an enabling environment for them to contribute to forest governance, rural livelihoods and gender equality.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Woman-working-Lien-ha-webinar.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2022-04-13 09:54:592022-04-21 18:11:18Strengthening the ability of smallholders in the Mekong region forest sector to operate legally and sustainably

Legality in the forest sector: New insights into obstacles and incentives for MSME formalisation

3 August 2021

Worldwide, at least 41 million people work in the informal forest sector – more than three times the 12.5 million employed in formal forest sector related businesses. 

In the informal forest sector, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are often characterised as “illegal”. This is the case when their modes of production, sources of raw material or legal status do not conform to their country’s regulatory requirements. 

In a new joint report, Promoting legality within the private forest sector: obstacles and incentives to formalization, 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.

If MSMEs do opt to formalise their business, the authors argue, there should be incentives and support to ensure that they benefit from formal status. This includes business development and credit, access to markets, and increased ability to participate in legal and sustainable supply chains. 

Formalisation will not always be desirable or practical for all forest sector MSMEs, the authors acknowledge. Where the rule of law and / or law enforcement is weak, policy and legal contexts are unlikely to be conducive to these enterprises entering the formal forest sector. 

The report builds on the experiences of the EFI and the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme, whose programmatic work has focused on helping MSMEs to produce and process legal timber for integration into legal and sustainable value chains.

Read the report:

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

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 Smallholders2021-08-03 14:45:002022-04-18 09:00:16Legality in the forest sector: New insights into obstacles and incentives for MSME formalisation

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

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

27 August 2020

Micro, small and medium enterprises (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.

A new 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.

Family-run workshop in a pilot MSME in Lamphun, Thailand. Source: European Forest Institute

If MSMEs are encouraged to adopt legal and sustainable sourcing and processing practices, they can be part of the solution to reducing deforestation and forest degradation.

Growing their capacities, business performance and access to legal timber will allow these enterprises to participate in supply chains destined for regulated markets. This would in turn make them more resilient as businesses, with the potential to alleviate rural poverty and reduce impacts from crises such as COVID-19.

To this end, EFI has explored approaches that help forest- and timber-based MSMEs in the Mekong region to operate legally and sustainably. In six pilot projects in four countries – Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam –  EFI tested solutions to some of the key challenges that MSMEs face: low productivity and operational capacity, lack of formal registration and operating licences, and poor representation in policy processes.

This work, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, shows that specialised trainings can improve MSME’s operational capacity and regulatory compliance. The potential for FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) processes to trigger and accommodate legal reforms in support of MSMEs is also highlighted.

EFI’s pilots demonstrate the importance of regulatory revisions for resolving key challenges to MSMEs, and the need for interventions targeting these enterprises to integrate business continuity planning. Crucially, supporting MSMEs to access finance is critical to support them to rebuild after COVID-19, and to operate legally and sustainably. 

Read the briefing

  • Supporting forest- and timber-based MSMEs in the Mekong region to operate legally and sustainably
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 Smallholders2020-08-27 11:42:002022-04-18 09:05:38Supporting forest- and timber-based MSMEs in the Mekong region to operate legally and sustainably

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.

Read more
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
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 Wongyoth
    Championing 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 Saythala
    Promoting 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 Institute
    Improving 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.

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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