Community Forest Management and Agroecology

The report examines the synergies between Community Forest Management (CFM) and agroecology, positioning them as essential tools for food sovereignty and biodiversity conservation. It critiques the 'green economy' and market-based conservation models like REDD+, arguing that they erode traditional values and community autonomy. The document specifically challenges the FAO's definition of forests for including monoculture plantations, which it claims facilitates deforestation and undermines the livelihoods of the 1.6 billion people dependent on forests. It advocates for the recognition of territorial control, women's autonomy, and traditional knowledge as the primary drivers of effective forest protection.

• Community Forest Management (CFM) and agroecology share core principles including territorial control, the autonomy of women, the promotion of social and solidarity economies, and the valuation of local knowledge and diversity.
• Market-based conservation mechanisms such as Payment for Environmental Services (PES) and REDD+ are identified as threats that risk replacing traditional cultural values with monetary pricing, potentially leading to the loss of ancestral knowledge and the emptying of territories.
• The report critiques the FAO's definition of forests—which focuses on tree height and canopy cover—for excluding social and cultural dimensions and allowing monoculture plantations to be classified as forests, which the author argues facilitates deforestation and poverty.
• Intensive agribusiness is presented as a false solution to hunger and a primary driver of deforestation, with commercial agriculture accounting for nearly 70% of deforestation in Latin America.
• Evidence suggests that forests under community management are of higher quality and experience lower deforestation rates than those under official state-protected regimes; one comparative analysis showed a 0.24% deforestation rate for CFM territories versus 1.47% for absolute protection regimes.
• Women play a critical role in agroecological production and forest management, yet they often face systemic exclusion from land ownership and decision-making, a gap exacerbated by the 'green economy's' focus on private ownership.
• The report highlights specific successful community-led initiatives, including the allocation of 12.8 million hectares of forest to communities in Indonesia in November 2016 and the restoration of alpine biodiversity in the Swiss Alps using goats to clear invasive bushes.

APA

Calle, D. C. (2017). Community Forest Management and Agroecology. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foei-cfm-agroecology-EN-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Calle, Diego Cardona. Community Forest Management and Agroecology. Friends of the Earth International, 2017. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foei-cfm-agroecology-EN-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Calle |first1=Diego Cardona |title=Community Forest Management and Agroecology |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=October 2017 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foei-cfm-agroecology-EN-WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{calle2017community, author = {Calle, Diego Cardona}, title = {{Community Forest Management and Agroecology}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foei-cfm-agroecology-EN-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }