Growing farm timber: practices, markets and policies -the Meru timber marketing pilot programme case studies and reviews

This report comprises of a series of four pa rt study to investigate the potential of farm- level timber marketing by exploring current production practices, marketing challenges and policy evolvement. The study was conceived out of a baseline study conducted by ICRAF and concerned stakeholders especially after the ban on forest logging in 1999. The Meru timber marketing pilot programme, implemented jointly by the World Agroforestry Centre, the Forest Action Network, the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and FAO, was initiated on a pilot level to address issues of farm timber supply. The programme under the advocacy programme on natural resource management supported by Sida is based on a series of interlinked research, advocacy and extension activities. This report details research surveys, case studies and policy assessment outcomes in four chapters and programme components: • Farm timber supply: Component 1.2.1 • International, experiences and relati ons to policy: Component 1.2.2 • Local timber market: Component 1.2.3 • Future policy options: Component 1.2.4 The component chapters were selected based upon smallholder timber marketing programme stakeholder consultations processes and is pegged to the joint ICRAF/FAN memorandum of understanding and budget. ICRAF facilitated the study through several partnerships such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Forest department, Kenya Forest Research Inst itute (KEFRI) and FAO amongst others. The chapters seek to integrate and support both policy advocacy and extension work on smallholder timber marketing while highlighting issues for future policy directions. The first chapter assesses smallholder timber resource audit along farmer livelihood strategies. The potential of existing woody resources to meet wood demands is highlighted while underpinning needs for the sub sector market development. Chapter two of the report reviews international smallholder timber practices and attempts to relate Kenya’s emerging smallholder practices with other experiences from the rest of the world. Chapter three and four of the report takes a keen look at a case study on marketing Grevillea robusta in Kenya and identifies key opportunities and challenges to growing the market. The policy overview seeks to inform forest and forestry product policy on key development pathways. In a nut shell, the report traces the changing fortunes of forestry products in Kenya and seeks means to support smallholder timber production practices and businesses in improving farm timber value chain. In doing so, the importance of multi-sectoral engagement is sought to realize an integrated approach to redressing emerging issues on the sub sector. More importantly, the role of trees in farming systems is again more usefully highlighted as a household livelihood asset through well planned marketing.

---

• View source