Lessons from community forestry enterprises in Bafwasende landscape, Congo – Alphonse Maindo, Tropenbos International Community forestry enterprises in the Congo Basin Seminar 10.00 -13.00 2 April 2024 NCountR Room, Impulse, Wageningen CMAPUS & online doctoral Defense Serge Piabuo “Community Forest Enterprises (CFEs) as successful social enterprises: Empirical Evidence from Cameroon” 16.00 – 17.30 2 April 2024 Omnia Auditorium, Wageningen campus & online Link to recording https://wur-educationsupport.screenstepslive.com/m/111045/l/1595365-about-recording-and-livestreaming-a-promotion-phd-defence-graduation-ceremony-inauguration-farewell-speech-or-other-public-events#where-can-i-watch-the-livestream

1. Lessons from CF enterprises in
Bafwasende Landscape
Seminar on Community Forestry Enterprises
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Alphonse Maindo
Tropenbos DRC

2. Summary
• Introduction
• Reflecting on CF design
• Addressing CF weakness
and lacks
• Dealing with challenges
towards inclusive CF
• Beyond forests and
trees
• Conclusion

3. Introduction
• Discussion on profitability
of CF enterprises
• Costs too high to establish
CFCL (USD 47-70K )
• No LC can pay, invest such
amount
• Too long to make profit
• Instead of economicist
analysis, better refer to
global/integrated approach
• Lessons drawn after 7 years
of intervention in support to
CF

4. Reflecting on CF design
• Definition of the local
community: concept and
risk of conflicts→ IPLC
have a better definition of
the LC by integrating
migrants into the CFCL
management bodies
• Gap () definition FC (dvpt
socio-ecq) & regulatory
texts (satisfaction of
subsistence needs)
• Participation of all local
stakeholders in the
process and management
bodies → Reinventing
tradition: “social cadets”
play key roles in the CFCLs
(management bodies)
• Cultivate the spirit of
entrepreneurship (indiv
or collect)/market logic
well beyond a social,
humanitarian logic

6. Addressing CF weakness and lacks
• State deficit and intervention of
partners: dependence/assistance
with wait-and-see attitude of
certain CoLo
• Political instability in provincial
institutions: restart of the process
with the arrival of new leaders
• Deficit or even lack of public
resources (State, provinces and
ETD)
• Lack of technical and operational
capacities of actors: human,
material and financial resources
of state services; illiteracy of
certain customarily appointed
representatives, etc. at the
administration and CoLo level
• Lack of information from actors
and political-administrative
authorities: confusion between
Forcom and land (land security)
• Coordination deficit at the
provincial level: absence of a
multi-stakeholder consultation
framework like TRMFC

7. Dealing with challenges towards inclusive CF
• True/False free: exorbitant costs of
administrative procedures beyond
the reach of CoLos. Beware of very
high hidden costs
• CF capture/hijacking: leaders/elites
• Reduce FC to timber
exploitatiParticipatory, iterative and
multi-actor process
• The cumbersome nature of the
process does not allow the phases of
the process to be scrupulously
respected (support, management
and operation)
• Multi-use of FC = notable advance
compared to other countries
(conservation, logging, NTFPs,
ecotourism, etc.)
• NGO support & involvement of
elites/authorities/local authorities

9. Beyond forests and trees
• Preservation of forests
and biodiversity: game
returned near villages
(ravage/crops for women)
• Land security for IPLCs
and future generations
Forest control by IPLCs
• Change in power relations
(strengthening local
control of LC over forests
to the detriment of
traditional chiefs)
• Reinforced social
cohesion in the region
(youth, gender, migrants,
etc.)
• Development of CFCL:
resources for investment
• Recognition of knowledge
& know-how of IPLCs
• Recognition of IPLCs as
key stakeholders in
sustainable forest
management &
biodiversity conservation

10. Conclusion
• Social/symbolic/political benefits are
preeminent & important to consider
when talking about CF ( securing
land/forests tenure for LC, change/
schift of power relation (forest/lands
under control of LC), rights secured
for ever, property, psychological
satisfaction, community governance,
recognition of communities as key-
forest stakeholders and more etc.
• To sustain, we need to consider them
as foundation of economic enterprise
• 29 CF Initiatives:
• 12 CFCL ( 3 with SMP)
Sustainable forest
management &
improved
livelihoods

11. References
• Maindo A., Kapa F., eds., 2015, La foresterie communautaire
en RDC. Premières expériences, défis et opportunités,
Tropenbos International.
• Kakelengwa B., Benneker C., et alii, La foresterie
communautaire face aux dynamiques locales de la gestion
des forêts à l’Est de la RDC, Tropenbos International.
• Jacquier C., 2011, « Qu'est-ce qu'une communauté ? En quoi
cette notion peut-elle être utile aujourd'hui? », Vie sociale
2011/2 (N° 2), p. 33-48.
• Schrecker C., Le concept de communauté dans la sociologie
anglo-saxonne, http://www.educ-
revues.fr/DVST/AffichageDocument.aspx?iddoc=37888
• Mesure S., « Communauté et société », Sociologie [En ligne],
Les 100 mots de la sociologie, mis en ligne le 01 mars 2015,
consulté le 05 mai 2018. URL :
http://journals.openedition.org/sociologie/2574
• Gouëset V., Hoffmann O., 2006, « Communauté. Un concept
qui semble poser problème à la géographie francaise »,
Raymonde Séchet et Vincent Veschambre, Penser et faire la
géographie sociale, Presses Universitaires de Rennes,
pp.263-275.
• Mohamed ZAHID, Anthropologie du groupe. Le concept de
communauté à l'épreuve de la Psychanalyse.

12. References
• Likwandjandja JD., Ibofa R., Benneker C., 2015,
Système d’organisation et de gestion socio-
économique des ménages ruraux en Province
Orientale, RDC, Tropenbos International.
• Muyambo MA., Kimoni Kicha, Furaha S., 2017,
Produits forestiers et stratégies de subsistance des
ménages ruraux dans la région de Kisangani,
Tropenbos International.
• Marie A., L’Afrique des individus.
• Maindo A., Likwandjandja JD., 2016, Les ménages
périurbains de Kisangani (RDC) et l’exploitation
forestière artisanale: la survie en jeu, Tropenbos
International.
• Hirschman A., Bonheur privé, action publique.
• Kakelengwa B., Maindo A., 2016, La gestion de la
redevance coutumière relative à l’exploitation
forestière, Tropenbos International.
• CHATAIGNIER J-M., MAGRO H., Etats et sociétés
fragiles. Entre conflits, reconstruction et
développement, Paris, Karthala, 2007.
• Zartman W., Effondrement de l’Etat.