Briefing
Restoring deforested or degraded land in the tropics. Learning from and building on: FLEGT, REDD+ and associated policy processes
This policy brief shares lessons learnt from FLEGT, REDD+ and zero-deforestation supply chain initiatives to help overcome some of the governance challenges hindering effective restoration of deforested or degraded land in tropical forest countries.
Key messages
- Restoration of deforested or degraded land in tropical countries could advance national priorities such as food security, rural development and job creation, while addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
- Restoration of deforested or degraded land could benefit from increased coordination among the initiatives and programmes related to land use, such as FLEGT, REDD+ and zero-deforestation supply chain initiatives.
- FLEGT, REDD+ and zero-deforestation supply chain initiatives could complement, support and promote the implementation of restoration initiatives by sharing experiences on participatory land-use planning, secured tenure, legal reform and increased transparency and accountability.
- The effective enforcement of legal land-use frameworks that prevent (illegal) forest conversion for commodity production brings various benefits, from promoting agricultural expansion on degraded rather than forested land, to creating incentives for sustainable land management.
- Until recently, private sector interest in restoration was limited. However, the growing number of zero-deforestation supply chain commitments provides incentives for restoration through the development of such supply chains and the promotion of related trade and financial investment.
- Independent monitoring for forest law enforcement and governance could support the implementation of restoration initiatives by assessing existing legal frameworks, commitments made by governments and private companies, and the level of enforcement of such commitments on the ground.
