The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) will partner with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to analyze forest governance questions related to Indonesia's forests and landscapes.
The collaboration will also include research on smallholder producers' role in supply chains and the potential for harmonizing government land use policies and regulations with corporate goals.
9 October 2015: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) will partner with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to analyze forest governance questions related to Indonesia’s forests and landscapes. The collaboration will also include research on smallholder producers’ role in supply chains and the potential for harmonizing government land use policies and regulations with corporate goals.
The partnership aims to explore how strong forest governance through public, private and community initiatives can contribute to reducing deforestation and solving environmental challenges, including issues related to climate change and forest fires.
As part of the collaboration, CIFOR will evaluate the zero deforestation commitments made by large palm oil companies. Steven Lawry, CIFOR, explained that the Center will work on some of the most urgent questions affecting forest governance, including understanding how palm oil companies “can ensure access by smallholder oil palm producers to deforestation free supply chains.”
USAID’s Mission Director, Andrew Sisson, stressed that the program includes both research and capacity building for Indonesians. The program will provide US$5 million in funding over four years and will send 15-20 Indonesians to complete a Master’s degree in forest management at US universities.
The program is expected to complement CIFOR’s existing research on the political economy of fire and haze. CIFOR is a part of the CGIAR Consortium. [CIFOR Press Release] [CIFOR Research on Fire and Haze] [USAID Mission in Indonesia Website]