22 May 2012: The World Bank has published a report on the outcomes of a South-South knowledge exchange between Brazil and Africa on community forestry and sustainable forest management (SFM) within the context of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks).

The report, titled “REDD+ and Community Forestry: Lessons Learned from an Exchange of Brazilian Experiences with Africa,” focuses on the result of a mission by African policy makers to Brazil, organized by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), to promote an exchange between Brazil and Africa on lessons learned about the role of community forestry as a strategy to achieve the goals of REDD+. During a ten-day knowledge exchange held in February 2011, policy makers and experts from six African countries learned about Brazil’s experiences in policy measures, infrastructural support and community involvement.

The mission’s conclusions include the need to: integrate REDD+ initiatives with sectoral and cross-sectoral policies, including forestry, agriculture, infrastructure and environmental policies; support long-term capacity building and financing for the success of REDD+ initiatives; implement community-based forest management through participatory processes that empower indigenous peoples and local populations in decision-making processes; and to integrate monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) as a key element of REDD+ initiatives. [Publication: REDD+ and Community Forestry: Lessons Learned from an Exchange of Brazilian Experiences with Africa] [World Bank Press Release]