On Thursday, February 13, 2025, a workshop to present the findings of a study on the political economy of community forestry in Central Africa was held via videoconference connecting Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This study, led by the SAILD-CIFOR-IRAF-APEM Consortium under the EU-funded RESSAC program, aimed to assess the impact of two decades of community forestry on rural populations and the sustainable use of forest resources.
Community forestry was introduced in Central Africa as a decentralized management model designed to directly involve local populations in forest conservation and sustainable exploitation. While countries in the subregion, such as the DRC, Cameroon, and Gabon, have integrated this model into their legislation, its tangible impact remains debated. The workshop opened with keynote addresses from Consortium members representing Gabon and the DRC, followed by remarks from CIFOR and the Consortium’s general representative. These speeches emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and accurate data for effective forest management.
“The most significant finding from this study is that, based on the objectives set by the National Community Forestry Strategy, the primary achievement during the five-year observation period has been land security. However, improvements in living conditions still require work, as this demands substantial time and resources. So far, progress on the ground remains limited and ineffective. In my view, the root issue lies in the complexity of the legal framework, compounded by a lack of local expertise. The first step should be to revise and simplify this framework to enable communities to engage more easily in the process,” stated Bijoux M’VUGE YEKOLA, a Master’s graduate involved in data collection for APEM in the DRC.
Experts then presented national reports from Cameroon, Gabon, and the DRC, followed by a draft of the subregional synthesis report. This presentation enabled a comparison of forest realities across the three countries and identified shared approaches to strengthen the sustainable management of Community Forest Concessions (CFCLs). The study highlighted progress, such as increased community involvement in forest management and the preservation of forest cover. However, anticipated economic benefits for local populations remain limited. Key challenges include difficulties accessing funding, a lack of local expertise, and the absence of mechanisms to ensure equitable revenue-sharing from forestry activities.
In the DRC, community forestry was implemented through a multi-stakeholder approach, including a five-year experimental phase (2018–2023) designed to incorporate lessons from field experiences. However, the study reveals that economic impacts have yet to materialize. Communities focusing on cash crops and agroforestry are beginning to generate income, but assessing long-term financial viability will require additional years of observation.
Data collection was further hampered by structural constraints, such as the novelty of the process and the lack of sufficiently established community concessions to measure outcomes accurately. Despite these limitations, the study lays the groundwork for refining the model. A comprehensive evaluation of community forestry in the DRC could help clarify objectives and optimize CFCL management, particularly through in-depth analysis of funding mechanisms, revenue-sharing models, and the effectiveness of institutional support.
According to Bernard Adibou, Director of the APEM program, “Community forestry represents an opportunity for rural populations, but access to its benefits remains limited. For this model to succeed, it is essential to strengthen community capacities, enhance technical support, and ensure transparent governance of forest resources.”
This workshop, organized by the SAILD-CIFOR-IRAF-APEM Consortium under the RESSAC program, concluded with a call to continue research and develop more inclusive policies to ensure that local communities become the primary beneficiaries of community forestry in Central Africa.
By Franck Zongwe Lukama
