Bharti Institute of Public Policy is excited to partner with Centre for Responsible Busines again in International Dialogues and Conference on October 28, 2021 at 15.45 “Multi stakeholder Partnerships for sustainable Forest Management and Livelihoods” curated for business leaders, civil servants, and industry experts to develop arguments for a forest-based economy with specific aim of creating opportunities for short term and long-term market linkages with communities as suppliers and potential forest landscapes for procurements.

Background :

The Indian Forest landscape provides a unique opportunity to create an economy that is based on responsible value chains. Forests continue to play a pivotal role in national development, be it food security, poverty alleviation and creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities. In 2020, during and after the lockdowns and economic downturn, non-timber forest produce (NTFP) collection in India became a significant income generating tool, as workers migrated to their home states. The Ministry of Home Affairs supported the forest-based economy by relaxing rules on harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing of these products. It resulted in crores of income for few states, as there was also subsequent hike in the minimum support price (MSP). But it was not something that could be sustained due to absence of strong market linkages as well as a robust value chain. To build economies of scale, business and communities need to collaborate. It is certainly inevitable for public and private sector to evolve in response to uncertainties and a consumer base growingly insistent of sustainable products. Considering these events and opportunities, relevant businesses are required to come together to invest in dialog and action that presents steady finance and livelihood opportunities. “Investing in Forests” an insight report by the World Economic Forum, urges businesses to value the local community leadership that manage the forests and its resources.

The forest governance team at BIPP-ISB and CRB aims to bolster government’s efforts in implementing community tenure security, in association with stakeholders to set up a framework that also contributes towards the achievement of the SDG goals.

Objectives of the Session:

The session will be curated for business leaders, civil servants, and industry experts to develop arguments for a forest-based economy with the specific aim of highlighting:

• Opportunities for short- and long- term market linkages with communities as suppliers.
• Potential forest landscapes for procurement.
• Identifying a pathway towards responsible sourcing?
• Advantages of responsible value chains in the procurement of forest-based raw material.
• Factors that need to be prioritized while procuring/sourcing from communities. 

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