Certification and Sustainable Marketing of Non-Timber Products (NTFPs) Project.
Forest Certification in Nepal:
Project Summary:
Federation of community forestry users, Nepal holds the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification and has been working as a group resource manager of community forest users Groups (CFUGs) certified pool members from Dolakha and Bajhang districts of Nepal. The certified CFUGs cover a total of 14,145.15 ha community forests of 22 CFUGs of around 4800 households from both districts. FSC forest certification program in Nepal was lead by FECOFUN and ANSAB under Public Private Alliance (PPA) program funded by United State Agency for International Development (USAID), initiated in September 2002 as a pilot project. FECOFUN as group resource manager primarily monitors CFUGs in certified pool for conformance of forest management activities to the FSC principle and criteria. During the certification process, these organization played major roles by providing technically, financially and socially support for capacity building of users. For the FSC certification process, PPA nominated FECOFUN as resource manager in 2005. The program is certified under FSC system through Rainforest Alliance, a certifying agency based on United States of America who is currently assessing the program annually.

After successfully implementation of pilot project in 2005 the major achievements of the project are the FECOFUN received certificate as group resource manager for certified CFUGs and FECOFUN has been conducting assessment and annual audit of certified CFUGs successfully so far. FECOFUN has the crucial role to implement forest certification in CFUGs as resource manager. FECOFUN is certificate holder and responsible to FSC to compliance its principle and criteria in all certified CFUGs. It is equally responsible to all certified CFUGs for capacity building, monitoring and coordination and maintains the spirit of FSC standards. FECOFUN has formulated the policy for SFM 2004, where the monitoring system, the role of central and district FECOFUN and responsibilities of CFUGs and other process to implement certification process in Nepal.

Goal and Objectives
* To promote sustainable resource management,
* To increase income and employment for Nepals remote rural area NTFPs producers,
* To implement sustainable forest management and forest certification model for Nepals Community forests that takes into accounts its NTFPs and CFs resources and encourage good governance of community forests
* To promote Community Based Forest Enterprises (CBFE) to ensure sustainable use of NTFPs, alleviate poverty in rural area,
* To consolidate forest users groups supplies to make attractive to buyers, gain better market position for Nepals NTFPs products in international markets,
* To lobbying for an enabling policy environment for free and fair trade practice,

Target group
Community forest Users groups of Bajhang and Dolakh

Geographical Coverage
Dolakha and Bajhang districts

Outcomes :
Certified Community Forests in Bajhang district
District    SN    FUG_CODE     Range Post     VDC/ Ward No.     FUG_NAME     OP_APROVE    AREA(Ha)    NO of housholds     Remarks
1    BAH/KO/38/02     Kotdewal     Kailash-1-7     shree Vinayak pimidanda     9/1/2004     1,425.00     240
2    BAH/CH/34/03     Chaona     Gadraya-9     Binayak     9/1/2004     1,606.00     87
3    BAH/MA/27/07     Malumela     Patadewal-7     Mastamandu     9/1/2005     29.00     61
4    BAH/KO/36/02     Kotdewal     Hemantabada-1-9    Hemantbada     9/1/2004     1,665.00     515
5    BAH/CH/34/06     Channna         Lahare     9/1/2004     458.00     305
6    BAH/KO/35/02     Kotdewal     Luyanta-1-7     Sallipatan Tribsakti     9/1/2005     660.00     382
7    BAH/KO/37/01     Kotdewal     Kotdewal,1-3     Ranada     9/1/2004     1,981.00     214
8    BAH/TA/41/01     Talkot     Rilu-4     Lataun     9/1/2004     728.00     65
9    BAH/KO/39/06     Kotdewal     Masta-6,7     Pariban     9/1/2005     469.00     155
10    BAH/TA/41/07     Talkot     Rilu-1     Daya     9/1/2005     1,093.00     95
11        Kotdewal     Kotdewal,4-6     Martinaula     Sep-05     451.00    181

1    DOL/CH/21/01     Charikot     Suspa,6,8,9     Supsa     9/1/2004     635.36     303
2    DOL/CH/22/07     Charikot     Bhimeshwor-10     Simpani     8/1/2008     58.00     88
3    DOL/CH/21/05     Charikot     Suspa,4,7     Jhareni     9/1/2005     208     186
4    DOL/JI/31/03     Jiri     Jiri-7     Kalobhir     9/1/2004     545.25     215
5    DOL/JI/31/02     Jiri     Jiri-8,9     Thulonagi     9/1/2004     239.53     257
6    DOL/GA/10/04     Gaurishankar     Marbu,3-6     Balam Damji     9/1/2005     495.00     133
7    DOL/MA/20/07     Magapauwa     Boach,4,5,6     Bolde setidevi     9/1/2005     171.00     225
8    DOL/CH/23/03     Charikot     B oach,7,8,9     Dhabde singadevi     9/1/2005     335.00     311
9    DOL/CH/38/03     charikot     Bhimeshwor 13     Charnawoti     9/1/2004     385.00     315
10    DOL/CH/22/06     charikot     Bhimeshwor 13     Majhkharka Lisepani     9/1/2004     146.00     206
11    DOL/CH/23/01     Charikot     Boach,1,2,3     Bhitteri Pakha     9/1/2004     362.00     237
Total:14,145.14     Total:4776

Duration: sep 27, 2002 – Sep 30, 2005,

According to the model, FECOFUN works as a resource manager on behalf of the CFUGs in the certified pool. The CFUGs capable and interested in forest certification have to apply to FECOFUN for the group forest certification. These CFUGs have to comply with the forest management guidelines prepared by the FECOFUN. FECOFUN provides capacity building support and does monitoring of these CFUGs to see whether these CFUGs have been abiding by the policy and guidelines. Rainforest Alliance, which is a FSC accredited body, assesses and audits the forest management policy, systems, plans, and performance of the group (FECOFUN and the CFUGs in the certified pool) in forest management.
Executive Partners:

FECOFUN/ANSAB /Public Private Partnership
Financial support:

USAID