Foundation for People and Community Development Inc

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Foundation for People and Community Development
Inc

• Certifying Community Forestry in Papua New Guinea
• Indigenous Community Forestry Group Certification
  Scheme (ICF)
• Caroline Imun
• Forest Certification Officer, FPCD
• International Conference on Poverty Reduction and
  Forests Tenure, Market and Policy Reforms
• 3rd to 7th September 2007
• Thailand, Bangkok

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Acknowledgement

• I would like to thank the organisers of this
  conference on Poverty Reduction and Forests
  Tenure, Market and Policy Reforms for the
  opportunity given to the Foundation for People
  and Community Development Inc to present work
• I would also like to thank my sponsors, the
  Institute of Global Environmental Strategies for
  making this opportunity possible

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Papua New Guinea Forest Development Background

• PNG has legislation and policies on sustainable
  forest management (National Forest Policy,
  Forestry Act, Logging Code of Practice, National
  Constitution)
• Does not enforce its own policies
• Although all forest development has permit there
  is still breach of national forest development
  guidelines (ITTO Diagnostic Report, 2007)
• Resource development by government and logging
  companies are done by resource acquisition
• Forest resource owners are represented by a
  minority (Incorporated Land Owner Group) who
  impose decisions of forest development on the
  resource owners
• Resource owners, in most cases, make uninformed
  decisions which costs them their forests and
  their livelihood
• National and international civil societies have
  therefore stepped up to assist these resource
  owners to develop their forest and benefit
  directly from their resources

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Foundation for People and Community Development
Inc (FPCD)

• National non governmental organization
  established in 1993
• Based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea with a
  field office in Madang Province
• Governed by a 7 member Board of Trustees
• Mission Statement To improve and or enhance the
  quality of life for local people through
  integrated development programs
• Overall Goal To support PNG nationals to develop
  and manage their own forest resources for
  economic, social and environmental benefit
• Has three main programs
• - Community Forestry
• - Integrated Community Development (Health,
  Water Supply, Sanitation)
• - Policy and Advocacy
• Community Forestry
• Assists indigenous resource owners of PNG to
  develop their forests based on proper use of
  portable sawmills
• Currently working with the Madang Forest Resource
  Owners Association (MFROA)
• Has a FSC certified group management scheme, the
  Indigenous Community Forestry Group Certification
  Scheme

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FPCD main activities

• Capacity Building (Trainings)
• Forest Management (Forest dynamis, Certification,
  Inventories and surveys, Boundary demarcation)
• Harvesting and Milling (Proper felling
  techniques, Maintenance, Scaling and Grading)
• Small Business Training (Start Your Timber
  Business, Income management)
• Good Governance
• First Aid and Safety
• Forest Management Surveys (Boundary, Harvesting
  Set-up)
• Develop forest management and harvesting plans
• Harvesting and milling
• Market (Local and International)
• Monitoring (FSC standards and FPCD requirements)

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Madang Forest Resource Owners Association

• A community based organisation made up of
  indigenous forest resource owners
• Decided to manage and develop their own forest
  using portable sawmills
• Started in 1997
• Approached FPCD to assist them develop their
  forests
• Has more than 100 members
• Has exported more than 20m3 of first grade milled
  timber under the Eco-Timber label
• Has a business arm Madang EcoTimber Corporation
  (METCorp)
• Mobilizes forest resources owners

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Indigenous Community Forestry Group Certification
Scheme (ICF)

• Group certification scheme developed by FPCD
  2005 with the main objective of making FSC
  certification accessible to indigenous resource
  owners of PNG
• Demonstrate sustainable forest management
• Had a scoping visit by US based FSC accredited
  auditor, The Scientific Certification Systems
  (SCS)
• Had its full evaluation in 2006
• FSC certified as a well managed group entity May
  2007
• Currently has 4 members
• Exporting FSC certified forest products

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Lessons learnt

• FSC certification standards very high
• FSC certification costly but rewarding
• Local communities can manage their forests
  sustainably according to FSC standards
• No complacencies by forest resource owners
• Communities are able to benefit socially,
  environmentally and economically
• There is a need for the state to support work
  done by the indigenous people to develop their
  forests

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Challenges

• Limited program funding for expansion
• Meeting market demand
• Finding local market for FSC certified produde
• Threat from unsustainable forest practices
• Lack or limited support for certification by
  stakeholders within country
• No road access
• Unable to provide services to interested forest
  resource owners
• MFROA autonomy and membership

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• THANK YOU!!