How participatory forest management protects trees and people

by Shewit Emmanuel, Ethiopia Country Director, Farm Africa

Success in conservation begins with a simple truth: people, like all living things, are inseparably connected to the ecosystems that sustain them.

That means to succeed in the protection of globally critical ecosystems, the needs of the people who rely on them must be considered. If overlooked, the drive for survival will prevail.

For example, in Ethiopia in the 1980s, population-induced agricultural expansion, firewood collection and demand for construction materials were driving high levels of deforestation, leading Ethiopia’s forest cover to fall to 3.1%, down from 16% in the 1950s. In an effort to protect its national and globally significant forests, the government closed public access to the forest.

However, a lack of sustainable and affordable alternative sources for food and fuel led to widespread flouting of the restrictions, making the policy hard to enforce and, ultimately, ineffective at stemming the felling of trees.

Stumps of felled trees in the Bale Eco-region of Ethiopia. Photo: Farm Africa/Nathan Siegel

Enter the development of the Participatory Forest Management approach.

An inclusive, nature-based approach 

Developed in the 1970s and introduced to Ethiopia in the 1990s, Participatory Forest Management (PFM) sees regional government and local communities take on joint responsibility for managing the forests and conserving threatened forest resources.

PFM gives forest users permission to develop forest-friendly businesses, allowing communities to benefit from the forest’s resources, in exchange for a commitment to protect the environment.

Under PFM, communities and government authorities engage in inclusive consultations that lead to formal agreements on forest management.

A female coffee farmer drying coffee in Ethiopia.

The arrangements create economic incentives for local people to protect forests, such as by permitting the sustainable harvesting of non-timber forest products like coffee and honey. In short, PFM aligns conservation and community interests.

Success at scale in the Bale Eco-region 

The forests of Ethiopia’s Bale Eco-region provide globally significant ecosystem services: biodiversity preservation, climate regulation and water reserves that sustain nearly 30 million people across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Yet these vital forests are under threat as the region grapples with the challenge of meeting the livelihood needs of its growing population.

In 2007, in partnership with SOS Sahel, Farm Africa mediated the introduction of PFM to the Bale Eco-region, where it has proven effective in curbing deforestation, restoring degraded forest ecosystems and improving community livelihoods.

Early work laid foundations by helping local communities to form structured groups called Participatory Forest Management Cooperatives (PFMCs) and negotiate formal agreements from local government to manage defined areas of forest. Women were actively encouraged to join, with many taking up positions of responsibility for the first time in their lives.

Through these cooperatives, we’ve supported communities to capitalise on PFM arrangements by supporting the growth of wild coffee and beekeeping businesses. And we’ve helped boost communities’ incentive to keep trees standing by facilitating links to carbon markets where carbon credits earned by preventing deforestation can be sold.

A few of the 1,720 members of Gadisa Participatory Forest Management Cooperative. The organisation protects 5,250 hectares of forest.

Since 2022, Farm Africa and SOS Sahel’s Forests for Sustainable Development programme, funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ethiopia, has been working to expand this network.

Today, more than 160 PFMCs supported by the programme protect over 758,700 hectares of forest. Under established policy, when a new PFMC is formed, the first chair or co-chair must be a woman, along with two of the five management committee members, ensuring meaningful inclusion of women in decision-making.

From 2022 to 2024 alone, as detailed in its latest impact report, the FSD programme has achieved a 35% reduction in deforestation across the programme area. At the same time, average household incomes have risen by 79%.

These results demonstrate how PFM can deliver both environmental and economic gains, amplified by carbon finance.

A strong example is Gadissa PFMC in Harana Bulk Woreda, established in 2009 with 450 members and modest capital. Today it has 1,720 members managing 5,250 hectares of forest and capital of ETB 15 million.

Among the cooperative’s investments are local grain mills that have dramatically reduced travel time and physical labour for 1,600 women. A significant proportion of Gadissa PFMC’s capital has come from the sale of carbon credits, earned through the group’s conservation activities.

Scaling up globally

In Ethiopia and beyond, community governance of forests has been proven to reduce deforestation while improving household incomes. The next step is to scale up the model globally.

The recent induction of Ethiopia’s Anywaa Biosphere Reserve as a member of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves is a powerful affirmation of this call to action.

The Anywaa Biosphere Reserve

Located in the country’s western Gambella Region, the Anywaa reserve spans an area of exceptional ecological and cultural value. Yet what has earned the UNESCO recognition is the way its protection is rooted in community stewardship.

With support from Farm Africa, MELCA-Ethiopia and Embassy of Sweden, the reserve’s management plan was designed through extensive consultation with the Anywaa people, ensuring that traditional knowledge and customary land-use practices form the foundation of conservation efforts.

Today, a zoned system protects sensitive habitats while enabling sustainable use of surrounding lands for farming, fishing and other livelihoods. As a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Anywaa now serves as a flagship model of how ecosystem protection can be achieved in partnership with local communities.

Looking ahead

Anywaa is Ethiopia’s sixth UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, highlighting the country’s growing leadership in community-led forest management. The breakthrough progress that’s been made strengthens Farm Africa’s commitment to linking sustainable livelihoods with biodiversity conservation.

For a closer look at the policy recommendations informed by this progress, see Farm Africa and Tree Aid’s policy brief, Strengthening Participatory Forest Management to Protect Ethiopia’s Forests.