ESSENTIAL RIGHTS FOR COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT

Friends of the Earth International argues that community forest management (CFM) is only possible when the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities are guaranteed by States. The document identifies critical threats to these rights—such as the 'Financialization of Nature', industrial logging, and mining—and details the internal community conditions and external State obligations required to ensure sustainable territorial governance. It emphasizes that collective land titles, the right to self-determination, and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) are fundamental to preserving both biological diversity and cultural identity.

• Community forest management (CFM) is more effective at preserving biological diversity and maintaining healthier ecosystems than traditional conservation schemes like national parks.
• Numerous industrial and economic activities threaten the rights of communities practicing CFM, including the 'Financialization of Nature' (FoN), agrocommodities, industrial logging, mining, oil exploration, and various large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Internal community stability for CFM requires inclusive organization based on customs and traditions, specifically ensuring that women and youth are fully and equally included in decision-making to dismantle patriarchal systems of oppression.
• The right to territory is central to CFM and requires collective land titles that are valid in perpetuity, the right to regulate external entry, and protection against eviction via policies like REDD or the creation of 'protected areas' without consent.
• States often undermine community land rights by maintaining ownership of the subsoil, allowing them to grant mining or oil concessions that override the community's surface land rights.
• Effective community decision-making regarding external projects must be based on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which includes the right to establish 'no-go zones' and the requirement that all information be provided in the community's own language.
• Cultural and traditional knowledge rights include the ability to reject intellectual property claims, such as patents or breeder rights, over seeds and biological diversity.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2020). ESSENTIAL RIGHTS FOR COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Essential-rights-for-community-forest-management.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. ESSENTIAL RIGHTS FOR COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT. 2020. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Essential-rights-for-community-forest-management.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=ESSENTIAL RIGHTS FOR COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT |date=July 2020 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Essential-rights-for-community-forest-management.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2020essential, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{ESSENTIAL RIGHTS FOR COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Essential-rights-for-community-forest-management.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }