Forest Trends Association

?????? ????????????: We’ve just published our latest findings on the state of illegal timber trade in Myanmar since the 2021 coup: https://lnkd.in/eRpk-2Sr ?????? ???????? ????????: Sanctions are working. As of 2024, trade with sanctioning countries has dropped to almost zero, leading to a 30% price increase in Myanmar’s secondary timber market. The military junta also continues to lose control over Myanmar’s forests. ?????? ?????? ????????: Myanmar’s military junta continues to trade with non-sanctioned countries, primarily India and China, with the latter accounting for over half of forest product imports from Myanmar since the coup. There are concerns that products may be re-exported through non-sanctioned countries, putting importers in sanctioned jurisdictions at risk of regulatory and criminal liabilities. ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ??????????????????? Given the junta ’s vulnerability, it’s critical to maintain pressure through sanctions and provide further support for opposition to the junta. Buyers and traders should also exercise increased caution and due diligence when importing from non-sanctioned countries.

?? Why are REDD+ prices so low if nature is one of the most effective climate solutions? The price of many REDD+ credits remains well below $10 per ton, while an analysis by the UN Environment Programme suggests that a price between $30-50 per ton for nature-based credits is required to incentivize widespread, large-scale action. In a recent conversation hosted by Forest Trends Association, Nature4Climate, and the UN Environment Programme, speakers proposed five unconventional ideas to make REDD+ a better deal for forest countries and communities: 1. Use prepayment structures to increase money going directly to communities. 2. Increase education, storytelling, and data to communicate about REDD+. 3. Think of REDD+ more like an insurance portfolio. 4. Foster more direct supplier country-buyer relationships. 5. Utilize forest country coordination to raise the floor on prices. Now, speakers Lucy Almond (Nature4Climate), Alexander Procton (Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace), Nathan Truitt (AFF), Gabriel Labbate (UNEP), ROSELYN FOSUAH ADJEI (Ghana’s Forestry Commission) and Theresia Ott (Rio Tinto) have signed a comment summarizing all their thoughts on this topic. You can: ?? Read the full commentary published by Ecosystem Marketplace here: https://lnkd.in/e-8ZApEx ?? Watch the full webinar here: https://lnkd.in/eDR3eGqe ?? Join a new LinkedIn group created by the webinar’s hosts to gain access to thought leadership, upcoming events, and lively debate: https://lnkd.in/eu_HzbMu

“Whenever buyers raise the concern [of community benefits], I always say that’s something that you can control by making prepayments,” shares AFF’s Nathan Truitt. “You will see a lot more of the credit price flow through to communities if projects don’t have to pay that cost of that capital.” Read how upfront financing is one of 5 new strategies that can make forest carbon projects more sustainable and impactful in Ecosystem Marketplace: https://lnkd.in/e-8ZApEx #CarbonFinance #VoluntaryCarbonMarket #CarbonCredits #ForestCarbonProjects #NatureBasedSolutions

Calling all Forest Trends followers! Are you interested in building a community of practice around carbon markets and finance in the Global South? Join our new LinkedIn group, Forest Carbon Connections, for lively debate and thought leadership: https://lnkd.in/eu_HzbMu

? NEW: We’ve just launched an updated version of the AFi Self-assessment Tool! The tool can help companies take stock of their policies and practices in line with the Accountability Framework’s guidance on responsible agricultural and forestry commodity supply chains. Designed to be used internally, the tool can help companies benchmark their efforts, identify weaknesses, and develop action plans based on the Framework’s 12 Core Principles. It is an essential resource for evaluating the strength of company systems, and prioritising improvements to achieve supply chains free from #deforestation, ecosystem conversion, and human rights abuses. Success stories include: ?? Musim Mas Group, a leading provider of palm oil, expanded its sustainability policy to strengthen its deforestation-free systems. ?? BMW Group, a premium automobile manufacturer, aligned elements of its due diligence process with the Framework, including its supplier sustainability policy.? ?? Start your benchmarking process today! Visit our web site to learn more and download the tool: https://lnkd.in/ezXZ--ef? #SupplyChains #SustainableCommodities #ResponsibleBusiness?

Welcome back to Meet the FT Team! This month, meet Debora Souza Batista, Project and Finance Manager for our Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI). As part of her role, Debora leads CTGI's?financial and operational matters, manages the initiative's staff so that all of the program's deliverables are met, and handles donor relationships and other partners. Debora has over 10 years of professional experience managing projects at NGOs, including previous work on deforestation and conversion-free finance as a senior analyst at WWF-Brazil. She has a post-graduate degree in social innovation?from Amani Institute?and a master’s degree in sustainability management from?Funda??o?Getúlio Vargas Business School.?Debora speaks Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Fun fact about Debora: Debora learned how to speak English by herself at age 12 by watching the TV show "Friends."

Is foreign aid smart foreign policy? Forest Trends says YES. Foreign aid focused on putting an economic engine between conservation and ecological restoration delivers multiple benefits that serve US interests. Instead of creating dependency, American aid dollars can change how we interact with nature - empowering local communities, strengthening legal markets, and creating sustainable economic opportunities. This is what we've learned that is highly applicable now: https://lnkd.in/gGKYsugt

Did you know that foreign aid actually makes smart foreign policy? There's a persistent idea that aid is charity rather than an investment with a high return. But what we’ve seen over the past 25 years is that smart foreign assistance is an incredibly powerful tool. As issues like water shortages and stress, forest fires, and loss of biodiversity become more pressing, we can use American aid dollars to change how economies interact with nature – in turn building a safer, more prosperous, and more resilient future for America and the rest of the world. Here’s why we think foreign aid is smart from our view in the forest: https://lnkd.in/gGKYsugt

Ending the week by highlighting some #goodnews coming out of #Ghana! Under increasing threats of deforestation, #REDD+ has really become a game-changer for Ghana’s cocoa industry, the second largest in the world. This essential funding is supporting communities to produce forest-friendly cocoa, improve crop yields, and use the results-based payments to fund additional projects around water security, education, and community health. Check out the full story: https://lnkd.in/dDsCNnEB Kerstin Canby Beto Borges

Did you know the European Union’s new environmental regulations present exciting growth opportunities for North American timber producers, like American Forest & Paper Association? As the EU reduces local timber production in line with these regulations, US timber producers with good forest governance and environmental compliance are poised to capture this new demand. However, our latest analysis of available data finds that illegal Russian timber entering European markets is undercutting US producers’ market access.? Read our briefing to learn more and see how better data tracking can prevent timber laundering: https://lnkd.in/e5RRkMDY ? Kerstin Canby