Dialogue on Pro-Poor Commercial Forestry in Bolivia

TFD convened a dialogue with associated site visits in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia in September 2007 to continue its exploration of pro-poor commercial forestry. This group of experts came together to learn from each other and identify the conditions under which commercial forestry can play a significant role in the reduction of poverty, both locally and globally. The Bolivia Dialogue was a follow-up from a Scoping Dialogue in South Africa in 2006 and a mini Dialogue in Indonesia in 2007. It was the third in a series of dialogues and field visits by this working group to countries that offer the best opportunities to explore the potential of pro-poor commercial forestry in alleviating poverty and to expand the working group's knowledge of these initiatives. The group will continue to contribute to ongoing national policy discussions on the role of commercial forestry in poverty reduction. A priority of this dialogue was to involve key Bolivian stakeholders in this ongoing international dialogue process.