This tool illustrates ways of improving the marketing of community forest products, with specific reference to FSC forestry certification. It also aims to improve buyers' understanding of the difficulties faced by communities in developing marketable products. The aim is to influence policies on the procurement of forest products.
We have investigated various aspects that can be used by FSC-certified communities to improve their performance in accessing markets (local, national and international). We propose a series of steps to improve the balance in the relationships between community producers and buyers. The focus is to make buyers more flexible in their purchase requirements - and producers more attuned to requirements for quality, technology, delivery periods and marketing.
This tool can also be used more broadly. It will help any community seeking to market their products or services because it fosters an understanding of the buyers’ rationale. It also recommends steps to resolve issues commonly faced by any rural community.
A summary card of this tool is available to download in four languages
in PDF format:
English (43K) | French (44K) | Spanish (43K ) | Portuguese (44K)
The complete tool is also available (PDF format):
English (193K, 32pp) | French (165k, 34pp) | Spanish (161K, 35pp) | Portuguese (154K, 30pp)
Please cite this tool as:
do Prado Braga, E., Giacini de Freitas, A. and Macqueen, D. 2005. Connecting communities to markets: developing small-scale markets for FSC-certified community forest operations. Power tools series. Imaflora, Piracicaba, Brazil and International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK.
The associated marketing handbook for community certification is available in Portuguese (PDF 6,745K):For further information:
- Contact: Luis Fernando G. Pinto, IMAFLORA, luisfernando@imaflora.org
- The marketing handbook for community certification and other IMAFLORA publications can be found at: www.imaflora.org/?fuseaction=content&IDassunto=17
- Certified suppliers and buyers: www.certifiedwood.org
- Tropical forest management practices: www.imazon.org.br, www.manejoflorestal.org.br (Portuguese/English)
- Global forest and trade network: www.panda.org/forestandtrade (English)
