Forest Certification in Developing and Transitioning ... - UTas ePrints

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forest certification in developing and transitioning countries
Box 2
Financing local development through revenues from logging: the case of CEB in
Gabon
15 Mrs. Rose Ondo, a social
scientist from the Omar
Bongo University.
The Compagnie Equatoriale du Bois (CEB) is a logging company that belongs to
the French multinational business The Thanry Group. The Thanry Group is
involved in the forest industry in almost all the countries of Central Africa
including Cameroon, The Republic of Congo, The Central African Republic,
and Gabon.
In Gabon, CEB manages 580,490 ha of forests in the Okondja Region. CEB
was the first logging company to possess an approved forest management plan
and to complete a certification process within the Keurhout system. In anticipation
of the forest certification process, CEB started to experiment with a new
approach to benefit sharing with the local populations. The approach consists
of providing financial resources to local communities living around the plots
where timber harvesting takes place. The company allocates CFA 1,000 (about
US$2) for each cubic meter of timber harvested to the development of the
neighbouring community.
The experience concerns 18 villages along the Okondja-Akiene road. When
the program started, CEB gave cash amounts to the communities. But it was
noted that a year later no change had been made in the community
infrastructure. The local community members shared the money among
themselves, and the money was used in a rather consumptive way by each
person or family. Then, after consultation with the local populations, it was
decided that CEB would open a bank account where the revenues allocated to
local development would be deposited. The community members would first
identify ideas for micro projects that would improve the living conditions of
the whole community. Once a project was agreed upon, CEB would transfer the
corresponding amount to community members. WWF offered to assist the
communities in the identification of micro-projects including the assessment
of their feasibility. Project ideas put forth by the communities included the
construction of social infrastructure such as primary schools, infirmaries,
installations for the supply of clean water, and churches, but also transport
buses and the building of bars and the installation of television antennas. Some
project ideas were rejected as being too costly or non-viable in the opinion of
the advisers from WWF and CEB. It became necessary for each of the
communities to establish a committee that would ensure the follow-up of the
implementation of the project and maintain dialogue with CEB and the
forestry administration. In addition, WWF trained extension agents among
local community members to facilitate the participation of the whole
community in the implementation of the project. On its side, CEB hired a
specialist to deal with local communities.
According to the consultant 15 contracted by CEB to help design its social
policy, at this point micro-projects have been successful in only six villages. In
the other villages, failures have come from disputes among villagers about
yale school of forestry & environmental studies