Reducing poverty by connecting small forest enterprises

Membership-based farmers' organisations working with forest products

This is a request for information on farmers' organisations in the South whose members are involved in forest products (timber and NTFPs) to diversify their income. I am working with Agriterra, an agri-agency in the Netherlands. We provide advisory and financial support to membership-based farmers' organisations in the South in strengthening their organisation and their services to members in e.g. economic activities and lobby & advocacy. Agriterra is member of Agricord, the alliance of agri-agencies in Europe, Canada and Japan. Agricord has established relations with FAO and the Forest Connect since 2008 and is exploring the opportunities for producer organisations in forestry.

Within Agricord we are currently implementing a survey on farmers organisations that might need support in improving their services to members in forestry (timber and NTFPs). The criteria for such farmers' organisations are:
1. The organization should have a substantial amount of farmer members (preferably working on national or subnational level)
2. The members are represented in an General Assembly, which is the highest body of the organization
3. The Board is elected by the General Assembly
4. The organization provides services to its members (e.g. in training, business development, marketing).

These are the criteria that we focus on, as our mandate is restrained to such organizations (meaning we cannot work with NGOs, only membership-based farmers/producer organizations). Do you know of any such organizations whose members are working with or interested in forest products? It would be very helpful to get your further input.

Many thanks in advance,

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Duncan Macqueen on May 13, 2009 at 10:02am: Dear Jeanette,

Thank you so much for this offer of support for small forest membership organisations. I will publicise this in the news update to see if we can attract some responses.

Duncan; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Julius NIBA FON on May 13, 2009 at 10:38am: hi jeannette,
in Cameroon we are doing some work with SMFEs in developing market chains for NTFPs. The opportunity your organization is providing is very interesting for many of these organizations involved in honey production, bush mango, bush pepper, voacanga and other forest products. here are some of the member based organizations that you can work with:
1. North West farmers organization. email: noweforbamenda@yahoo.com
2. Berinyuy women development cooperative email: peactrust@gmail.com
3.bamendankwe rural women development group
4. Action for development group email: adev_cmr@yahoo.ca
5. association for indigenous initiatives and sustainability email: orgiis_cam@ymail.com
6. forest and agroforestry promoters; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeannette van Rijsoort on October 27, 2009 at 4:02pm: Dear Julius,

thanks for this info. Sorry for not replying to you earlier. I am interested in getting more information on the first two organisations you mention: the North West Farmers Organisation and the Berinyuy women development cooperative. Before I contact them directly, could you tell me a bit more about these organisations:
1. are they steered by farmers themselves (through a general assembly)
2. how many members do they have (of you know).
thanks in advance,
jeannette; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Julius NIBA FON on October 27, 2009 at 4:56pm: hi
the north west farmers organization has 1500 members, a board of directors and an executive that runs the organization. this is a federation of farmers groups that are involved in a couple of value chains and there is a coordination unit that facilitate capacity building and producers-market linkages.

as for berinyuy womens cooperative, it is also steered by farmers through a general assembly with the aim of developing the community through the woman.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Raoul Ngueko on May 13, 2009 at 3:00pm: Hi Jeannette,
Thanks for sharing this opportunity with us; in fact we (SNV Cameroon) support minority groups for their equitable involvement in NTFP value chain in Cameroon; Through a radio based market information system we try to link supply (production) to demand (market) in favor of producers amongst which Baka pygmies; Actually, these producers (around 3500 persons) are organized into associations (3)
So can we have additional information on your support (canva etc....); you can forward to Moutoni Luc at moutoluc@yahoo.fr

Thanks

Raoul; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeannette van Rijsoort on October 27, 2009 at 4:05pm: Dear Raoul,

thanks for your input. sorry for not replying to you earlier. Very interesting that you work with a radio-based market information system. We cannot offer any concrete support at this moment, as we are still in exploration phase. But I would be interested in getting more information on the associations you mention - would then Moutoni Luc be the contact person?
thanks in advance,
Jeannette; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jochem Schneemann on May 14, 2009 at 9:20am: Hi Jeannette,
Interesting. I just come from Ghana where I worked two years in forestry, promoting NTFP and timber value chains. You may contact Joshua Ahiaba from GTZ Ghana , who works with some grasscutter producer groups. I don't know if they are already organised as a cooperative as you indicate, but they may need Agriterra support to work towards this. I will forward your message to him.

all the best
Jochem Schneemann; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeannette van Rijsoort on October 27, 2009 at 4:07pm: Hi Jochem,
thanks for your input, and sorry for late reply! Good to have reconnected again after several years (!VTB/ Studiedag, etc). Does it mean you are back in NL again? Could you forward the contact details of Joshua Ahiaba to me, so I can contact him.
Thanks in advance,
Jeannette; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Duncan Macqueen on May 14, 2009 at 10:42am: Hi Jeanette,
I know that Sharon Ousman on this site works with Amerindian groups in Guyana who have craft making assoications. They are very much looking to strnegthen their coordiantion across the country and develop joint marketing outlets. Perhaps you could pursue this with Sharon?
Duncan; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeannette van Rijsoort on October 27, 2009 at 4:08pm: Dear Duncan,
thanks for this. I will look her up and contact her.
Cheers,
jeannette; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by untung karnanto on May 26, 2009 at 5:29am: Hi Jeannette,
Thanks for sharing this opportunity, good news for me that is now working in the community forest in Indonesia, precisely in Kebumen district, Central Java. to that recorded at this time as a member of the 553 farmers in 13 villages with 14 forest farmer group. Farmers joined this unit in sustainable forest management in the Cooperative (Koperasi Taman Wijaya Rasa/Kostajasa). Kostajasa have been incorporated and will achieve FSC certification.
But for the management of NTFP, Kostajasa still difficulties in developing and marketing non-wood forest products (NTFPs).
With happy, if You are willing to help Kostajasa this. For information activities can be seen on the web Tropical Forest Trust or visit my blog at http://mahonijawa.blogspot.com (indonesia version).
If You interesting, please mail to : kostajasa@yahoo.co.id or untung_ka@yahoo.co.id

Regard
Untung Karnanto; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeannette van Rijsoort on October 27, 2009 at 4:13pm: Dear Untung Karnanto,

many thanks for your input. Sorry for late reply! I had a quick look into your website (through google translation as I don't speak/read Bahasa..) and it looks quite interesting. We are still in exploration phase, but I will contact Kostajasa and you later, for further information.
Kind regards,
jeannette; ▶ Reply to This