This presentation by James Mayers, director of the Natural Resources research group at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), summarises key points made during the third event of the China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform and suggests ways forward in terms of policy change and business solutions to improve China-Africa timber investment and trade. The presentation was made at the third event of the China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform, held in Beijing 24-25 October 2016. The event explored how China can help sustain Africa’s forests with a focus on the role of private sector actors and Chinese stakeholders in working with African stakeholders to promote pro-poor and sustainable investments and trade in Africa’s forests. More details: www.iied.org/mists-china-africa-forests

1. James Mayers
October 2016
1Changing times, changing policy
Author name
Date
James Mayers
October 2016
Changing times, changing policy
China-Africa Forest
Governance
Learning Platform

2. James Mayers
October 2016
2Changing times, changing policy
Changing times – changing policy
Africa’s forests are calling – wake up everybody! Time for
change: 50 years and 1 trillion US$ of aid to Africa – need
real investment now – but it is not easy:
1. Recognise rights, engage with their holders, get round
the table, dismantle secrecy
2. Know the forest resource and act on this knowledge –
grow more of it – and community forest management is
the future
3. Respect national and local laws – and help improve
them – align and spread VPAs and CTLVS, enable
investments, protect citizens
4. Guidelines help – get them widely used – more
disclosure, take the next steps and be accountable
5. Green finance and green procurement for forests – get
them moving
6. Invest in skills and organisation – for engagement,
efficiency and effectiveness – Chinese aid here please
(does not need another 1 trillion US$)

3. James Mayers
October 2016
3Changing times, changing policy
Deep processing – deeply
responsible business
1. Improve policy measures: log export bans, incentives, industrial
parks
2. Address the barriers: old ways and means, low efficiency, high
transport costs
3. Help with bigger solutions to: uncertain policies, unstable politics
4. Get practical:
• Favourable taxation and institutional climate
• Energy, transport, communications
• Integrate deeper forest processing in wider country strategies
• Promote SMEs and integration of informal sector
• Use secondary species more and diversify products
• Bind all the above to good forest resource management
5. Avoid dangers of exclusivity – ‘the best are the enemy of the good’
– driving the excluded to be less responsible and more unaccountable
6. Learn from experience (Ghana, Gabon, China), take opportunities
(Mozambique…), frame as ‘sustainable forest product development
parks’?
7. Invest in skills and organisation – again!

4. James Mayers
October 2016
4Changing times, changing policy
New research – new innovation
– exciting times!