1. Valentina Robiglio; Serge Ngendakumana; Jim Gockowski; Martin Yemefack (December 2010): Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses in Cameroon, ICRAF – ASB (Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins), Final Report

The first release of this publication coincided with the Cancun COP 16^th December 2010 where several copies were shared to many actors. The concept of Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses (REALU) takes roots in the global landscape approach to propose going beyond forests by integrating other sources of emissions. The present document as final report of the project pays specific attention to the interactions between forest carbon stocks, other carbon stocks affected by land use, the major drivers of land-use and forest change, and the livelihoods of the hundreds of millions of people whose actions shape these changes. The project is implemented by the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins in collaboration with local and international research partners in eight countries: Indonesia, Philippines, China, Nepal, Vietnam, Cameroon, Peru and Tanzania. Read the report…

2. Frequently asked questions - Top 10 questions about FSC

Please find in this document, the top 10 questions about FSC: 1. There are so many labels. Why should I buy FSC? What others say about FSC? What is the Forest Stewardship Council? What is the problem and what solutions does FSC offer? Why should I become FSC certified? Who makes the FSC rules? What changes do FSC rules require foresters to make? Who can become an FSC Member? Why was FSC created? How is FSC funded? Read more…

3. Eric Tollens (June 2010): Potential Impacts of Agriculture Development on the Forest Cover in the Congo Basin, World Bank

This document presents two scenarios which are developed for agriculture/livestock development over the next 10-15 years. The first one is "continuation" or business as usual, whereby food imports from the world market increase each year, including animal products, particularly rice, wheat, sugar and palm oil. Agricultural production will increase every year but only at about half the rate of population growth. Under the "Maputo scenario", a gradual transition will occur from shifting cultivation to permanent agriculture, relying on agro-forestry practices and integrated soil fertility management, with tree crops such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, oil palm, and fruit trees as important cash crops. The choice between both scenarios is very much a political choice, and repeated food crises, which maybe will be happening in the future, may influence this choice. Also REDD+ funds and PES from the international community may induce the "Maputo scenario" to become a reality. Read the report…

4. Tim RAYDEN & Rawlings ESSAME ESSONO (August –December 2010): Evaluation of fauna management within the forests concessions of the Lope-Waka et Ivindo great ape exceptional priority area

The full report is available only in French. Read the report…

5. European Tropical Forest Research Network (2010): Biodiversity Conservation in Certified Forests - Issue no.  51, September 2010

More than 15 years have passed since the first forest certificate was issued in tropical high forests; it should now be possible to evaluate the impacts of certification on biodiversity. Regulators and representatives of philanthropic groups, NGOs, and development agencies — which have contributed so much to improve forest management — also want to know whether certification is working for biodiversity. They are supported by more than three quarters of the respondents (88%), who thought that greater emphasis on documenting the biodiversity benefits of certification was important or very important. The topic is the rationale of this issue of ETFRN News. It brings together 33 articles that discuss this topic from various perspectives. This document was funded by the Government of the Netherlands, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH – German Technical Cooperation, commissioned by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Read the report…

6. IDH Congo Basin Program (2011): to have an additional 4 million ha of forest concession certified by 2015

This document highlights the Congo Basin Program of the IDH which has now officially started its activities. The main objective of this program is to have an additional 4 million ha of forest concession certified by 2015. It’s an information sheet with more detailed information about the Congo Basin Program and the opportunities to become a partner. Read the document…

7. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO); International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD)  and the International Labour Office (ILO)  (2010): Gender dimensions of agricultural and rural employment: Differentiated pathways out of poverty Status, trends and gaps

The report reflects the latest thinking on the gender dimensions of rural poverty. The cornerstone of its analysis is the United Nation’s Decent Work Agenda, which calls for creating better jobs for both women and men, obtaining social protection for all rural workers, ensuring that labour standards apply to all rural workers and promoting rural institutions that equally represent women’s and men’s interests. Read the document…