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You are here: Home1 / Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA)

Tag Archive for: Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA)

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

Homegrown trees provide additional income in Thailand

27 April 2020

In the late 1980s, the Government of Thailand imposed a logging ban in all natural forests. Together with the depletion of forest resources, the ban led to a drop in domestic supply. The Government therefore looked for ways to involve the private sector and in particular local communities in generating alternative wood supplies. Changes introduced in 2019 in the law governing forestry may finally promote reforestation efforts.

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https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wandee-measuring-tree-thailand.jpg 628 1200 Forest Smallholders https://forestsmallholders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ForestSmallholders_WebLogo_Tagline_3lines-12.svg Forest Smallholders2020-04-27 14:08:002022-11-24 13:28:22Homegrown trees provide additional income in Thailand
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.

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  • 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

  • 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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