Since the 1970s and 1980s, community-based forestry has grown in popularity, based on the concept that local communities, when granted suffi­cient property rights over local forest commons, can organize autonomously and develop local institutions to regulate the use of natural resources and manage them sustainably. Over time, various forms of community-based forestry have evolved in different countries, but all have at their heart the notion of some level of participation by smallholders and community groups in planning and implementation. This publication is FAO’s fi­rst comprehensive look at the impact of community-based forestry since previous reviews in 1991 and 2001. It considers both collaborative regimes (forestry practised on land with formal communal tenure requiring collective action) and smallholder forestry (on land that is generally privately owned). The publication examines the extent of community-based forestry globally and regionally and assesses its effectiveness in delivering on key biophysical and socioeconomic outcomes, i.e. moving towards sustainable forest management and improving local livelihoods. The report is targeted at policy-makers, practitioners, researchers, communities and civil society.

Communities around the world rely on forests for their livelihoods, and the sustainable development of small-scale, often family-run enterprises is increasingly recognised as a key to poverty reduction. This publication examines the needs of such small-scale enterprises for access to microfinance services, given the seasonal and often unpredictable nature of forest-based activities. It looks at different types of financial institutions (such as banks, non-governmental organisations, co-operatives and credit unions) as well as group lending, leasing, insurance and cash transfers. The strengths and weaknesses of different approaches are considered through four case studies which draw on experiences in Nepal, Guatemala, the Sudan and Peru.