TFT – The Forest Trust
TFT (The Forest Trust) is a global non-profit organisation that helps companies and communities deliver Responsible Products. We act on the ground in forests, farms and factories to help create products that respect the environment and improve people’s lives.
Since our founding in 1999 our main focus has been to provide solutions to the issue of deforestation and the empowerment of forest dependent communities. We have helped companies transform their timber supply chains and decrease forest destruction. Through the same model, we involved institutional donors and individuals looking to build capacity on the ground thus giving communities and local companies the tools to provide responsible wood products to world markets.
Now with offices in 13 countries and over 90 staff, we focus on products and supply chains to bring about sustainable development using our expertise to identify and address embedded social and environmental issues with a strong focus on natural resource management and traceability. From forests and farms in Indonesia, Brazil and Cameroon to factories in China and India and retail stores in Europe and the US our experts are on the ground making real change happen, helping businesses and communities deliver Responsible Products.
WORK UNDER RAFT
Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification Support
TFT is building demand for legal and certified timber by working with wood products manufacturers in Lao PDR, China, Vietnam to track their timber supply and ultimately achieve Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody (CoC) certification.
In Lao PDR, this support is provided through the Forest & Trade Platform – a partnership between TFT to assist the Government of Lao PDR in developing a competitive forest industry grounded in sustainable management. In 2010, the Forest & Trade Platform supported Vientiane-based Lao Furniture Industry Company to be the first timber processing company in Lao PDR to achieve FSC chain of custody certification, creating an outlet for wood from current and prospective certified forests in Lao PDR to access international markets.
Contact: Rob McWilliam (r.mcwilliam@tft-forests.org), Senior Manager – Crassier, Switzerland
Read more about the launch of the Forest & Trade Platform in Vientiane.
Luang Prabang Teak Program
As part of its work under the Forest & Trade Platform, TFT is also helping to implement the Luang Prabang Teak Programme (LPTP), working with communities in Northern Lao PDR to improve their teak management and marketing. Since 2008, TFT has been working with the Ban Kok Ngiew community to support certification of a 900 hectare (2,223 acre) community-managed area with smallholdings (typically <1 hectare) of teak plantation, and help the community to bring their products to market.
The community has already made 3 sales to 2 buyers. This has allowed the villagers to more than double their income per cubic meter and effectively minimized the role of traders and middlemen in the sale of teak. LPTP is expected to be expanded into surrounding villages willing to participate in the programme to increase the area of certified teak in Luang Prabang.
Contact: Rob McWilliam (r.mcwilliam@tft-forests.org), Senior Manager – Crassier, Switzerland
Improved Forest Management Support
TFT is working with 8 forest management enterprises covering 700,410 hectares (2,537,305 acres) of tropical forest in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Lao PDR, supporting forest managers and staff through a stepwise approach to achieve and maintain Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. This includes mediating conflicts between local communities and concession owners and helping forest companies to demonstrate legality, as well as to identify and manage high conservation value forests (HCVF) with trainings and technical support.
In the State of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, TFT under the RAFT program have supported over 70,000 hectares of forest to achieve Verified Legal Origin (VLO) certification, which recognizes the forest management enterprises compliance with national laws pertaining to environmental protection, wildlife, soil and water, harvesting rules and practices, workers health and safety, and fairness to local communities.
In June 2010, TFT conducted the first ever high conservation value forest (HCVF) assessment in Papua province, Indonesia, in PT. Manokwari Mandiri Lestari (MML) forest concession. The assessment revealed high levels of biodiversity and areas of vital importance for communities. Management recommendations included implementing reduced impact logging (RIL) for timber extraction, with a few areas removed from logging altogether.
Contact: Rob McWilliam (r.mcwilliam@tft-forests.org), Senior Manager – Crassier, Switzerland
Photo credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © TFT (Kong Lee (1st place), Khounsong and Korlee (Runners-up) from the Luang Prabang Orphanage display their artwork at the “Teak and Life” art competition, run by the Luang Prabang Teak Prgroamme and the My Library resource centre, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR); Photo © TFT (Technicians at PT Dwima Jaya Utama measure stream flow height as part of a routine stream monitoring below harvested areas, PT Dwima Jaya Utama, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia); Photo © TFT (Village in PT Manokwari Mandiri Lestari, Papua, Indonesia).
