RECOFTC – Center for People and Forests: Resilient landscapes for secured rights and prosperous communities

Project completed

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Mekong
Agriculture & food security
Agricultural policy
Agricultural land resources
Agricultural water resources
01.01.2019 - 31.12.2023
CHF  4’325’000
Area of responsibility Based in Bangkok, RECOFTC is the primary institution for promoting community forestry in the Asia-Pacific region. RECOFTC puts people at the centre of the change by empowering communities, governments and the private sector with rights, networking, technical expertise and knowledge. Over the last 30 years, it has trained some 60,000 people (30% women) from over 40 countries, and plays a key role in empowering local people to gain fair benefits from sustainably managed forest landscapes. RECOFTC will continue to work program-matically with over 50 partner organizations while maintaining engagement with key agencies in China and with ASEAN member states. Seven focus country programme offices (Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam) will continue to lead RECOFTC’s work and partnerships at national and landscape levels.
Switzerland's and the organisation's strategic priorities and their coherence

RECOFTC envisions a world where empowered local people are effectively and equitably engaged in the sustainable management of forest landscapes. Its five-year mission is to enhance capacities for stronger rights, improved governance and fairer benefits for local people in sustainable forest landscapes in the Asia-Pacific region. RECOFTC has aligned its strategy with the SDG’s. 

RECOFTC’s strategy is in line with the regional outcome 1 of SDC’s Mekong Region Strategy 2018-2021: Small holder women and men farmers have secure and equitable access to and control over agricultural land and forests.

The geographic focus of SDC’s Mekong Region Strategy 2018-21 is assured through RECOFTC country programmes in all CLMV countries (and Nepal) and through its key fascilitation role in the ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN).

Results of the organisation's previous engagement
  • Most countries improved their legal forest tenure policy frameworks and institutions for community-based forest management. National community forestry working groups and forest user group networks at various levels were formally established or strengthened in most focus countries, as well as regionally.
  • 29% increase in the forest area (from 2013: 2.5 million ha to 2018: 3.29 million ha), and a 16% increase in the number of forest groups (from 2013: 28,000 groups to 2018: 32,200 groups) participating in community forestry in RECOFTC’s focus countries.
  • During the five years, RECOFTC trained over 24,500 participants and worked with partners to directly support 390 forest user groups comprising 75,000 households and 270,000 ha of forest land.
Results of Switzerland's engagement in previous phase

Some key results of the core contribution and support to RECOFTC’s Strategic Plan 2013-2018 are:

  • Improvement of RECOFTC’s M&E and reporting system through capacity development
  • Improvement of annual work plans and reports as well as support to the institution’s capacity development in M&E and private sector engagement (PSE)
  • Contribution to the development of a new private sector engagement strategy and pilot the implementation in two countries
  • Participation as an observer in the governing Board of Trustees
  • Contribution to the development of the new Strategic Plan (2018-2023) with the integration of the implementation strategy for private sector engagement and M&E.
Medium-term outcome of organisation's current engagement
  • Rights of local people in forest landscapes are protected, exercised and compensated through collaborative landscape management.
  • Enhanced forestry sector good governance will result in effective transformation and prevention of conflict through strong institutions, inclusive relationships, strategies, services and skills.
  • Economic value of forest landscapes for local people is increased through sustainable investment and community-based enterprises.
  • Participation of empowered women, youth, indigenous people and other vulnerable groups changes public awareness and norms to support people-centred landscapes, policies and practices.

Over the next five years, RECOFTC will partner with over 250,000 local groups to improve the lives of 600,000 people; contribute to the legal recognition of a total of 5.5 million hectares of forest land; strengthen over 10,000 communities, 1,000 businesses and 70 government institutions to help transform forest-based conflicts into landscape processes and decisions that will ensure rights of local people and improve forest governance; work with over 300 community-based enterprises and seven larger private companies to help improve market access of community-based enterprises.

Effect in Switzerland

To contribute to small holder women and men farmers in CLMV, especially indigenous people, having secure and equitable access to land and control over the community forest resources. SDC will focus on continuity and consolidation by following up on its support from the first phase with the following outcomes:

  • RECOFTC has consolidated its M&E and reporting system to promote governance and tenure rights for local communities.
  • RECOFTC has strengthened its capacity and networks to promote and implement the new private sector engagement strategy to increase the equitable share of benefits for local communities from diversified and sustainable community forestry practice.
  • RECOFTC has re-energized and strengthened its country programmes and regional networks.
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
Swiss Academic and Research Institution
  • Bern University of Applied Sciences


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    4’325’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    4’058’810
Switzerland's ranking in the DonorOrder

1: SIDA – USD 9.36 million

2: SDC – USD 4.3 million

3: Thai Government – USD 0.2 million

Donors

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency; Thai Government, EU, USAID, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, UN organizations

Coordination with other projects and actors

SDC coordinates positions and support strategies with the core donors – SIDA and the Thai Government.

Project phases

Phase 2 01.01.2019 - 31.12.2023   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.12.2013 - 30.09.2018   (Completed)