30 October 2023, Victoria, Malaysia
Within the framework of the Latin American and Caribbean Climate Week, CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Training Center) and the Alliance for Responsible Forest Management Foundation (ARFM) signed, on 24 October 2023, an agreement to promote responsible forest management and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in tropical regions.
The agreement was signed in Panama City, Panama, by Dr Michael Galante, Founder, Secretary-General of ARFM, and Dr Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of CATIE. Both organisations agreed to conclude this technical agreement regarding the implementation of ARFM, whose objective is to create a coordinated global support network that promotes awareness, training and application of best practices in responsible forest management in the tropical world and contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the forest sector that reach the atmosphere. Through this agreement, efforts will be made to support the ARFM to become a strategic partner and continue to develop in the three identified tropical regions of Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. In this sense, CATIE will support the creation of training centres and centres of excellence and will partner with the ARFM in the collection of funds to identify and promote the best environmental, social and economic practices. In addition, the Alliance for Responsible Forest Management Foundation will invite CATIE to the Executive Board and the Technical Training Council, to support the ARFM and ensure that operations are carried out with maximum transparency and ethical behaviour, as well as with best practices. CATIE will support the identification of training centres and forestry concessions to support face-to-face and on-site training. The places will host individuals, groups from the public, private, civil and community sectors, as well as international forest research teams.
The ARFM is an international, non-profit non-governmental organization, whose purpose is to accelerate the implementation of responsible forest management throughout the tropical world through the application of more than 30 years of peer-reviewed research and applied knowledge to create an effective knowledge management system, integrating best practice materials appropriate for each region, face-to-face training (virtual and/or face-to-face) and on-site practical training in regional training centers in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
For its part, CATIE is internationally recognised as a leading institution for its contribution to scientific knowledge of tropical forests, biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide, in a context of landscapes and societies resilient to climate change and natural disasters. The Center’s contributions to the region can be summarised as follows:
- Medium- and long-term research on the effects of human activity on tropical forests
- The promotion of sustainable forest management and the restoration of forests and landscapes in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Capacity building through postgraduate education processes at the master’s and doctoral levels, and participation in a wide range of training and projection activities
ARFM Call to Action
- Promote the implementation of regional-specific best practice material utilising over 30 years of peer-reviewed research and applied knowledge in tropical forest management.
- Foster holistic, continuous, and responsible forest management on the ground by capturing proven, localised best practice approaches for all types and scales of commercial forestry.
- Provide forestry education to the private, civil, and public sectors, which includes multidisciplinary topics and holistic management of forests, including sustainable yield, silviculture, forest restoration and conservation, community forestry and rights-based approaches, and forest management at the landscape level.
- Support continuing education and extension training to practitioners, certification bodies, auditors, government agencies and private sector forest organisations, including upper management and Directorship.
- Nurture stakeholder engagement and partnerships through the dissemination of information, facilitating networking and fostering collaborative action amongst stakeholders and communities.
- Support international Conventions, Agreements, and commitments through education and training, including the recent decisions at COP 26 to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 and safeguard biological diversity in tropical forests, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed in late 2022 under the Convention for Biodiversity.
ARFM Strengthening through Continuous Education
- Strengthening knowledge, education and awareness programmes to promote a better understanding of the relationships between forests, environmental sustainability, governance, and human needs.
- Partnerships and collaborations between education and research centres, governments, NGOs, private sector, international organisations and communities to promote and implement responsible forestry practices effectively.
- Development and implementation of innovative technologies can help improve the efficiency and responsibility of forest management practices.
- Effective policies and regulations to promote responsible practices, corporate governance, environmental services, legality and certification programmes and deforestation-free commodities.
- Collaboration with local and indigenous forest communities to regulate property rights, implement responsible practices and ensure benefits are shared equitably.
Get involved
The ARFM delivers a significant contribution to remove the current barriers of practicing responsible forest management across the tropical world, including to raise awareness and seek the active support of all communities and stakeholders and meet the requirements of environmental Agreements, Conventions and commitments. The ARFM encourages all interested individuals, companies, governments, civil society and communities to join our Call to Action and support the improvement of tropical forest practices, globally.
For information, please contact us at: info@arfm.org.
