{"id":71,"date":"2020-06-03T03:16:09","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T03:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cifor.org\/annualreport2019\/?p=71"},"modified":"2020-06-29T07:33:40","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T07:33:40","slug":"a-new-era-of-small-scale-forestry-in-southeast-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cifor.org\/annualreport2019\/a-new-era-of-small-scale-forestry-in-southeast-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"A new era of small-scale forestry in Southeast Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Swidden cultivation \u2013 a centuries-old practice in which crops are rotated on
\n land that is cleared, planted and then left fallow \u2013 has been blamed for
\n destroying forests and releasing greenhouse gases. While research shows it can
\n create ecosystems with high biodiversity, rich carbon stocks and low soil
\n erosion, and adapt to changing market and socio-demographic demands, policies
\n have aimed to restrict swidden, favoring conversion to large-scale plantations.
\n At the same time, there is a growing interest in social forestry in Southeast
\n Asia
\n as countries embark on a more decentralized governance process, promoting forest
\n tenure and local community interests in the region. Swidden can be seen as part
\n of social forestry practice where local people manage diverse forests and
\n fallows to generate multiple benefits, including maintaining a sense of identity
\n and cultural traditions.<\/p>\n

As part of the ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change
\n (ASFCC), CIFOR conducted demand-driven research and training in Indonesia, Lao
\n PDR, Vietnam, Malaysia (Sabah) and Myanmar to learn how swidden as a social
\n forestry practice can improve livelihoods for forest-dependent communities and
\n Indigenous Peoples, increase their resilience to climate impacts, and help
\n Member States achieve their targets for climate change and development
\n goals.<\/p>\n

Through technical support and activities in ASEAN member states, CIFOR and
\n partners helped bring about transformative political and institutional change in
\n the region:\n <\/p>\n