The technical working group for the development of the FSC Interim National Standard of forest stewardship for Ethiopia is undertaking field test activities in Southwest Ethiopia.
The group is formed by experts from Soil Association (UK), Ethio Wetlands and Natural Resources Association (EWNRA) and International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) to come up with Ethiopia’s Interim National Standard of forest stewardship. Starting from 23 May, 2023 the team is working on field tests in Southwestern Ethiopia, specifically in Nono Selle and Masha districts, where EWNRA has been relentlessly working for nearly 20 years now, to protect the forest of the area.
Members of the working group have interview sessions with stakeholder farmers at Kebele (village) level and visited the status of some coffee plots and bee hives in the forests.
This Interim National standard of forest stewardship will cover all forest types, plantations, natural forests including bamboo. In addition it will include Honey, Wild Coffee (Coffee Arabica), Ethiopian Long Pepper/African Long Pepper (Piper capense), and Ethiopian Cardamon/Korarima (Aframomum corrorima) within the scope of this standard as non-timber forest products and with relevant indicators developed for them.
The FSC national standard is expected to give Ethiopia’s forest management additional care and promotion for sustainable and responsible forest management in the country by balancing social responsibility, environmental protection and economic viability.
Field tests involved local experts and stakeholders (Government staffs, participatory forest management cooperatives, Forest management Associations, FMGs)
The technical working group will also conduct a consultation meeting at regional and national level in the coming days to gain consensus among different actors.
EWNRA is supported by Forest of the World (FoW) to work on this important issue of developing a National Standard of Forest Stewardship.
