September 2013: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and the Forestry Research and Development Agency (FORDA) of Indonesia released a report describing their collaboration on forestry research.

The report, titled ‘Forestry Research Collaboration Between FORDA and Partners – Improving Sustainable Research and Development,’ highlights the relationship between CIFOR and Indonesia, its host country, and notes that forest research in Indonesia was first recorded 100 years ago. The report also explores collaboration with ICRAF, including joint research and publications, capacity building and secondments, joint presentations at international events and partnerships in strategic planning.

The report presents the history of collaboration among FORDA, CIFOR and ICRAF including the establishments of ICRAF’s regional research programme for Southeast Asia in Bogor and the demarcation of 320,000 hectares of forest in the Bulungan District as a research forest for CIFOR’s use.

Specific projects described in the report include: a CIFOR project to support smallholder forest owners in Java; the monitoring and conservation of the Javan Leopard; support for furniture manufacturers to enhance value chains; and awareness raising of the value of mangroves for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Additional projects highlighted in the report address: REDD; illegal logging; decentralization; sustainable forest management (SFM); and good management of plantations. Finally, the report provides an overview of the future of Indonesia’s forests based on three scenarios, business as usual, increases in plantations and imports, and a significant increase in plantations and imports combined with restructuring of the forest industry.

CIFOR and ICRAF are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [Publication: Forestry Research Collaboration Between FORDA and Partners – Improving Sustainable Research and Development]