In keeping with its mission, the International Family Forestry Alliance (IFFA) has launched a series of webinars intended for the managers of woodlot owners’ associations around the globe. Managers often deal with similar issues but have few opportunities to share their experiences with their international counterparts. These webinars attempt to bridge this gap by providing a forum for managers to exchange information and discuss issues.
During most of the sessions, speakers will be invited to give a brief presentation (25 minutes) on the forest owners’ associations in their region and the issues they face. Afterwards, a moderator will lead a 25-minute discussion among participants. These webinars are held on the Zoom platform, which most people find easy to use. Four webinars are planned for 2021 and participation is free of charge.
Our next guest speaker, Mr Kastory Timbula, will introduce us to Challenges and Opportunities for Forest Owners’ Organizations in Tanzania. Mr. Timbula has master’s degree in Soil Science and Land Management from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania. He has 22 years of professional experience in rural development, which include 16 years of working with development projects on small holder tree growers, community-based forest management value chains and small-scale producer groups. He has developed a good experience in working with different stakeholders including central and local government authorities, NGOs and private companies. In addition, he has developed hands on experience on village land use planning (VLUP), community and village level development projects and participatory processes; training and improving smallholders’ capacity to carry out forest management. Finally, he has worked on organizing and mobilizing rural poor communities into commercial producer and forestry groups for joint marketing, thus insuring tree growers negotiate the best price for their products.
