Welcome to FORVAC
Forest-Based Value Chains
Forestry and Value Chains Development programme (FORVAC) increases economic, social and environmental benefits from forests and woodlands whilst tackling deforestation. By working closely with local enterprises and communities, FORVAC will develop forest-based value chains thereby inducing growth in local economies, while at the same time fostering local ownership of the forests. It also supports government institutions in developing their legal and policy framework to improve forest governance and promote sustainable forest resources management. The 330,000 beneficiaries range from individuals, communities, and traders to private companies in the vast regions Tanga, Lindi and Ruvuma and beyond.
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Buyers and end consumers want quality timber and timber products that will not warp, yet they want the timber produced in tight timeframes as such good and fast timber drying is essential. Therefore, FORVAC has purchased 2 solar timber drying kilns for forest communities that offer higher speed (even up to 6 times faster!) and a more consistent drying process than air-drying. They retain heat during night and are effective even during the high humidity of the rainy season.![]()
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Fundamentally, a quality product leads to satisfied and repeat customers for communities - enabling them to build a loyal customer base for their sustainably produced wood in the future.
Last week, FORVAC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, organized an important multi-stakeholder workshop to enhance the enabling environment for VLFR timber harvesting, processing and marketing. ![]()
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FORVAC wants to thank all participants for their active participation and contribution in the preparation of action plans that will be used to improve the value chain and market of sustainably harvested VLFR timber in Tanzania. ![]()
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Thank you MNRT, TNBC, TFS, TAMISEMI/PO-RALG, regional, district and village officers, community representatives, timber dealers & buyers, MCDI, MJUMITA, SHIVIMITA, and TAWOFE.
THE FOREST THAT PAYS IS THE FOREST THAT STAYS 5/5:![]()
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As well as for supporting forest managing and protection by financing community forest guards etc., the villages use the profit from the timber sales to develop community services such as health care and education. During the past year, 40 FORVAC-supported villages sold 10,344 m3 of sustainably harvested standing timber and earned approximately TZS 1,7 million / EUR 687,000 for community development purposes. ![]()
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In the final year FORVAC will look at the impact of the approach on avoided deforestation – early signs appear to show that the approach is a highly effective and socially acceptable way to protect and maintain the Miombo forest resources, whilst providing a source of sustainably harvested wood. The majority of the benefits go direct to the forest guardians, the forest communities themselves. Having the communities motivated to protect the natural forest removes the burden from government, so a win, win, win for natural forests, communities and government as well as for consumers who receive responsibly and sustainably produced hardwoods.
THE FOREST THAT PAYS IS THE FOREST THAT STAYS 4/5:![]()
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The communities that FORVAC cooperates with harvest timber sustainably according to approved and valid forest management plans. Before timber is transported out of the village, it is marked with a hammer, indicating that the timber is legally harvested from the forest of a particular community. In the picture, a District Forest Officer, who is responsible for supervising harvesting processes, is hammering timber. If a legal sustainable source of these valuable natural hardwoods is not provided and tracked, the danger is valuable hardwoods are then sourced from illegal unsustainable sources to satisfy market demand.
THE FOREST THAT PAYS IS THE FOREST THAT STAYS 3/5:![]()
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FORVAC supports villages in sustainable timber harvesting. The sustainability is secured, for example, by measuring and marking the trees that will be harvested based on the approved forest management plan that normally allows only one three per hectare to be cut annually, and only trees that are above the legal minimum diameter. If the communities start clearing the forest or use unsustainably, they risk having the forest transferred back to the government and losing all the legal benefits.![]()
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In Miombo forests, where FORVAC operates, the regeneration of trees happens naturally. After one mature big tree has been cut, new tree seedlings shoot up quickly to fill the gap in the canopy. Miombo woodland has evolved over many millennia to not only cope with moderate disturbance but actually thrives on it. ![]()
Note that naturally Miombo woodland is disturbed by elephants who knock over a lot more trees than this light sustainable harvesting.
Publications
Technical Reports
FORVAC aims to provide you with detailed Technical Reports that will help you to explore more about Forest Programme in Tanzania.
Administration documents
FORVAC adminstration documents will help you understand more on how the programme works to empower the local forest community.
Posters
FORVAC posters will help you understand more about the activities carried out in various clusters in Tanzania.
