B7-6201/96-22/VIII/FOR "South Pacific community eco-forestry Programme" by UKFSP (1996)

Objectives:

The overall aim of this project is to contribute to an increase in the sustainable utilisation and management of forest and tree resources in the South Pacific controlled by resource owners, thus addressing a partial solution to the problem of increasing rapid destruction of forest/tree resources due to unsustainable management and utilisation practices.

There are several key terms and phrases that need to be defined in this objective in order to clearly understand how the subsequent activities under the project contribute to the achievement of this Objective.

To establish a minimum of 3 pilot, community based, successful Eco-Timber enterprises in each of the countries of Vanuatu, Fiji and Solomon Islands that demonstrate an alternative model for the sustainable utilisation and management of forest timber resources.

The pilot project communities will be defined in the project activities, but will be communities who have been beneficiaries of previous FSPI environmental awareness programmes. The successful end of project indicators for this objective include 100% of the rural producers in the pilot site area trained to produce timber to international Eco-Timber standards (e.g. ITTO/FSC/ISO) and a minimum of 50% of the producers actively producing and selling certified Eco-Timber for overseas markets. Baseline data in terms of numbers of producer beneficiaries in the pilot area, and volumes of Eco-Timber projected can only be determined once the project sites are selected and pre-harvest inventory are carried out as part of the project activities.

To establish a minimum of two pilot agroforestry/handicraft/foodcrop tree industries in each of the countries of Kiribati and Tonga that demonstrate the sustainable utilisation and management of important but declining trees resources by village based enterprises.

Successful industries will incorporate the replanting and management of over-utilised tree resources, encouraged by assistance to establish and expand marketing infrastructures for sustainable tree products that can be certified as "eco-products". The target tree species promoted and village locations for project sites will be determined as part of the project activities in co-operation with government agencies and community groups. Additionally, criteria for "eco-product" labeling will be determined as part of the project activities.

Results:

The establishment of Eco-Timber enterprise models

The establishment of agroforestry/handicraft/food crop tree industry models