WEBINAR: Community forest concessions in Petén, Guatemala: Effective governance for tropical forest conservation and socio-economic development

WEBINAR: COMMUNITY FOREST CONCESSIONS IN PETéN, GUATEMALA: EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE FOR TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

by PIM | November 29, 2018

When: December 13, 2018, 10-11 AM EST
Presenters: Dietmar Stoian (Bioversity International) and Iliana Monterroso (CIFOR)
Moderator: Frank Place (PIM)

View the presentation on SlideShare:  

Community forest concessions in Petén, Guatemala: Effective governance for tropical forest conservation and socio-economic development


The devolution* of forest rights to local communities is seen as a critical element of strategies aimed at conserving tropical forests and strengthening livelihoods based on them. In the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) in Petén, Guatemala, forest concessions have been granted to local communities in the Multiple Use Zone (MUZ) on close to 400,000 ha. Over the past two decades, community management of the concessions has contributed to the reduction of deforestation in the MUZ to a minimum (0.1% per annum), unlike the adjacent core and buffer zones of the MBR where deforestation rates continue to be high (1% and 5.5% per annum, respectively). While the conservation benefits of the community concessions are well documented, there is limited insight into their socio-economic performance.

In this webinar, we will present findings of an in-depth study across the currently nine active and three inactive community concessions that focuses on the community forest enterprises (CFE) operating them, with emphasis on: 1) the benefits accruing to CFE members, local communities, and society at large; 2) the degree to which forest-based income allows member households to move out of poverty; and 3) how such income is reinvested in livelihood assets at household level and business assets at CFE level. We conclude with the critical importance of such findings in support of the communities' claims for renewal of the concessions, which will be appraised over the next years, and broader implications for natural resource governance at global scale.


*Devolution - the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration


Presenters

Dietmar StoianSenior Scientist, Value Chains and Private Sector Engagement, working within Bioversity International's Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems Initiative and the Productive and Resilient Farms, Forests and Landscapes Initiative. Integrating value chain and livelihood approaches, Dietmar's work identifies opportunities for smallholder households and their business organizations – cooperatives, associations, limited liability enterprises – to enhance livelihood resilience and business viability. Dietmar's work on private sector engagement focuses on involving large agri-food companies in business models based on environmental and social responsibility, aiming to achieve food and nutrition security among low-income households in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Read full bio>>

Iliana Monterroso, environmental scientist, recently completed her post-doc fellowship with CIFOR and continues collaborating as research consultant. Since 2014 she has coordinated research activities of the Global Comparative Study on Design and Implementation on Tenure Reforms in Peru and Colombia where she led the analysis of outcomes from land and forest right-recognition processes in the Amazon. She has done extensive research in Central America around territorial rights, community forestry and reform processes. She holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from Autonomous Barcelona University, Spain. Her research focus is on collective tenure, gender, and socio-environmental conflicts in Latin America.

About PIM Webinars

The PIM Webinars aim to share findings of research undertaken as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), discuss their application, and get feedback and suggestions from participants. Webinars are conducted by PIM researchers in the form of research seminars. Each webinar is a live event consisting of a presentation (30 min) and a facilitated Q&A session (30 min). Recordings and presentations of the webinars are freely available on the PIM website.

See previous PIM webinars here

 

 

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