The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is a non-profit scientific research organization that conducts research on the use and management of

forests A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...

with a focus on tropical forests in developing countries. CIFOR, which merged with World Agroforestry (known by the acronym ICRAF) on Jan. 1, 2019, is the forestry and agroforestry research center of

CGIAR CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security. CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food ...

, a network of 15 research centers around the world that focus on agricultural research for sustainable development, working closely with governments and other partners to help develop evidence-based solutions to problems related to

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is agriculture, farming in sustainability, sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an ...

and natural resource management. CIFOR-ICRAF research is intended to "deliver actionable evidence and solutions to transform how land is used and how food is produced: conserving and restoring ecosystems, responding to the global climate, malnutrition, biodiversity and

desertification Desertification is a type of gradual land degradation of Soil fertility, fertile land into arid desert due to a combination of natural processes and human activities. The immediate cause of desertification is the loss of most vegetation. This i ...

crises." It also contributes to the United Nations

Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

, commitments under the Rio Convention, including the

Paris agreement The Paris Agreement (also called the Paris Accords or Paris Climate Accords) is an international treaty on climate change that was signed in 2016. The treaty covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. The Paris Agreement was ...

and the

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the UN process for negotiating an agreement to limit dangerous climate change. It is an international treaty among countries to combat "dangerous Global warming, human interf ...

Overview

CIFOR's research and expert analysis help policy makers and practitioners shape policy, improve the management of tropical forests and address the needs of people who depend on

for their livelihoods. CIFOR's multidisciplinary approach considers the underlying drivers of

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

and degradation, which often lie outside the forestry sector: forces such as

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, infrastructure development, trade and investment policies, and law enforcement. CIFOR has its headquarters in Bogor, Indonesia. The current Director General is Robert Nasi. It has three regional offices: in

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...

(West Africa),

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

(Central Africa) and

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

(East and South Africa). It has project offices in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

and

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

(Africa),

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

and

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

(Asia), and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

(Latin America). CIFOR is one of 15 centers within the

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security. CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food ...

(CGIAR). In implementing its research, CIFOR collaborates with other centers within the CGIAR – the

World Agroforestry Centre World Agroforestry (a brand name used by the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, ICRAF) is an international institute headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and founded in 1978 as "International Council for Research in Agroforestry". ...

, the

International Center for Tropical Agriculture The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (known as CIAT from its Spanish-language name ) is an international research and development organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger while protecting natural resources in developin ...

(CIAT) and

Bioversity International Bioversity International is a global research-for-development organization that delivers scientific evidence, management practices and policy options to use and safeguard agricultural biodiversity to attain global food security, food- and nutritio ...

– to conduct the CGIAR Consortium Research Programme ''Forests, Trees and Agroforestry'' (also known as CRP6). CRP6 objective is to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape, from forests to farms.

History

Although many link CIFOR's creation to the 1992

Earth Summit The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92, Cúpula da Terra), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 ...

because it came into existence the following year, the discussions that led to founding CIFOR predated the Earth Summit by several years. In 1991, the CGIAR appointed the

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is an Australian Government statutory agency that forms part of the overseas aid program in the Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio, reporting to the Minister of Foreign Aff ...

(ACIAR) as the implementing agency responsible for establishing CIFOR and setting up a board of trustees. CIFOR's Establishment Agreement was signed by

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

; the Agreement was lodged with the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and CIFOR's legal identity as an international organisation was consolidated with a Host Country Agreement between the new Board and the

Government of Indonesia The term Government of the Republic of Indonesia (, GOI, sometimes also referred to as Government of Indonesia or the Central Government () especially in laws) can have a number of different meanings. At its widest, it can refer collectively ...

in May 1993. Over time, CIFOR increased the focus of its research on forest policy rather than on technical forestry or

tree breeding Tree breeding is the application of genetic, reproductive biology and economics principles to the genetic improvement and management of forest trees. In contrast to the selective breeding of livestock, arable crops, and horticultural flowers over t ...

, in order to complement the efforts of national and private-sector institutes. Instead of having laboratories, CIFOR would be a 'center without walls', marshaling interdisciplinary research teams in collaboration with partners to tackle forest policy changes.

Partners

CIFOR works with government agencies and non-governmental organization in the countries where its scientists conduct research. Top partners include the CGIAR, European Union, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ; , CDAAN), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and pr ...

), Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ( Australian Aid), US Agency for International Development (

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

), BMZ/ BMUB, Global Environment Facility ( GEF), International Fund for Agricultural Development (

IFAD The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. It is the only ...

), Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Austrian Development Agency, British Department for International Development (

DFID The Department for International Development (DFID) was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom, from 1997 to 2020. It was responsible for administering foreign aid ...

), French Global Environment Facility, and

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is an office-level agency in the federal administration of Switzerland, and a part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Together with other federal offices, SDC is responsible for ...

Strategy

CIFOR's first strategy, set out in 1996, provided the foundations and direction for research that affected the understanding and practice of forest management throughout the tropics. But the world's forests and the way they are perceived have changed dramatically since CIFOR was established. Foremost among many changes is that forests are today centre-stage in the global debate on how to tackle climate change. Almost 20 per cent of global carbon emissions are caused by deforestation, and so curbing forest loss is a way to reduce global warming. Also the promotion of biofuels by governments concerned about global warming is driving forest clearance in some areas. To respond to these and other challenges, CIFOR devised a new strategy for a new era. Approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2008, the strategy will guide CIFOR's work until 2018.

CGIAR Research Programme on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry

CIFOR is the leading center for the CGIAR Research Programme 'Forests, Trees and Agroforestry' (also known as CRP6). This initiative brings together four Centers who specialise in their respective subjects—the

(ICRAF), CIFOR, the

(CIAT) and

. The programme will convene expertise across the CGIAR system, and will partner with research and practitioner organisations around the world. Within the consortium research program, the research focus is organised into five components with the clear objective of enhancing the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms.

Component 1: Smallholder production systems and markets

Component 1 focuses on the needs of smallholder producers, with an emphasis on enhancing the productivity of trees on farms (e.g. through domestication of wild species) and improving access for smallholders to markets for forest and tree products. Research themes *Enhancing management and production systems for smallholders (food security and nutrition) *Increasing income generation and market integration for smallholders *Improving policies and institutions to enhance social assets to secure rights in forest- and tree-dependent communities

Component 2: Management and conservation of forest and tree resources

Component 2 focuses on the needs of forest managers at the level of the forest management unit, with an emphasis on improved technical and governance approaches to conserving forest ecosystems and the genetic resources they contain. Research themes *Understanding threats to tree species and formulating genetic conservation strategies *Conserving and characterising high-quality germplasm of tree crops and their wild relatives *Developing improved silvicultural, monitoring and management practices for multiple use *Developing tools and methods to resolve conflicts over distribution of benefits and resource rights

Component 3: Environmental services and landscape management

Component 3 focuses on the needs of landscape-level planners and stakeholders, with an emphasis on mechanisms (such as payments for environmental services or PES) for capturing the value of environmental services and for negotiating trade-offs among competing conservation and development objectives. Research themes *Understanding drivers of forest transition *Understanding the consequences of forest transition for environmental services and livelihoods

Component 4: Climate change adaptation and mitigation

Component 4 focuses on the needs of policymakers and land managers seeking to build forests, trees and agroforestry into

climate change adaptation Climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change, both current and anticipated.IPCC, 2022Annex II: Glossary[Möller, V., R. van Diemen, J.B.R. Matthews, C. Méndez, S. Semenov, J.S. Fuglestvedt, A. Reisinger ...

and mitigation strategies. Research themes *Harnessing forests, trees and agroforestry for climate change mitigation *Enhancing climate change adaptation *Understanding synergies between climate change mitigation and adaptation

Component 5: Impacts of trade and investment on forests and people

Component 5 focuses on the needs of policymakers and land managers seeking to ensure that the effects of globalised trade and investment flows are beneficial to forests and the communities that depend on forests for their livelihoods. Research themes *Understanding the processes and effects of forest-related trade and investment *Enhancing responses and policy options to mitigate the harm and enhance the benefits of trade and investment

Other major projects

Global Comparative Study on REDD+

Over four years, CIFOR and its partner organizations are undertaking a major global comparative study on the implementation of pilot REDD+ (

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation REDD+ is a voluntary climate mitigation framework developed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It aims to encourage developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, enhance forest' ...

) projects. The aim of the study is to compare how pilot REDD+ projects are working at national and subnational levels, and share lessons learned from these comparisons for the benefit of everyone involved in designing and implementing REDD+ projects. Essentially, by providing policy makers and communities with this information, the project aims to ensure implementation of REDD+ is as effective, cost-efficient and equitable as possible – and ultimately reduces carbon emissions, deforestation and forest degradation across the world, while producing benefits like poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation. Research for the global comparative study is being undertaken in 11 countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Nepal, Peru, Tanzania and Vietnam.

Poverty and Environment Network

The Poverty and Environment Network (PEN) is an international research project and network launched by CIFOR in September 2004 and completed in 2010. PEN still exists as a database containing survey data on more than 8,000 households in more than 40 study sites in 25 developing countries. It was the largest and most comprehensive global analysis of tropical forests and poverty, and aimed to put a systematic framework of knowledge around the role tropical forests play in poverty alleviation. The project aimed to provide data on the ways that poor people depend on forest resources, in order to both inform mainstream forest policy design and to contribute to the design of policies and projects to alleviate poverty, and thereby contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of 50% poverty reduction by 2015. In order for the socioeconomic data to be uniform and therefore comparable across countries and project sites, research partners (mainly PhD students) from a number of universities and research institutes collected quarterly data at the household and village level using standardized definitions, questionnaires and methods. The study sites were chosen to obtain representative coverage of geographical regions, forest types, forest tenure regimes, levels of poverty, infrastructure and market access, and population density. Preliminary results from the study’s global database showed that among those surveyed, forest income – on average – constituted more than one fifth of total household income, while environmental income (forest and non-forest) made up more than one fourth.

Communicating research

According to past Director General Frances Seymour, CIFOR considers bridging the gap between research, policy and practice through effective communications is one of its challenges as a research organization. The organization is committed to sharing its research and other information with others in the research community, and also with policymakers, indigenous and community groups, donor agencies, the media and the general public.

Forests News Blog

The Forests News Blog reports on the latest scientific research, activities and events from CIFOR. It contains news stories, analysis, features, videos and infographics. Sections of the blog include:

climate change and energy Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorolog ...

, human wellbeing, forest management and restoration, food and diets, gender, justice and tenure, value chains and finance, landscapes and the Director General's column.

Social media

CIFOR has a Twitter account, YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Major events

Forests Asia Summit

The Forests Asia Summit in Jakarta saw ministers from across Southeast Asia join CEOs, civil society leaders, development experts and the world's top scientists joining to share knowledge on how the region can accelerate the shift toward a green economy by better managing its forests and landscapes. The Summit – organized by the Center for International Forestry Research and co-hosted by the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry – was the largest in Asia in recent years and attracted more than 1,000 leading stakeholders from Southeast Asia and across the world. Thousands more participated online or through nationwide broadcasts. There were special learning events with leading global experts on the Green Economy, the Southeast Asian haze crisis, climate change negotiations and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Forest Day

Forest Day is a platform for those with an interest in forests and climate change to come together with others and exchange views. Forest Day is organized by CIFOR on behalf of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. It is held alongside the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the UN process for negotiating an agreement to limit dangerous climate change. It is an international treaty among countries to combat "dangerous human interference with th ...

Conference of Parties (COP). More than 1,100 people from 82 countries, including 214 official climate-change negotiators and 65 media representatives, attended Forest Day 5 on 4 December 2011 in

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. Previous Forest Days have been held in

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

, Indonesia (2007),

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

, Poland (2008),

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Denmark (2009) and Cancun, Mexico (2010). The 2012 Forest Day (Forest Day 6) coincided with COP 18 in Doha, Qatar, in December 2012.

Forests Indonesia Conference

As part of the United Nations declaration of 2011 as the 'International Year of Forests', CIFOR convened the Forests Indonesia (Hutan Indonesia) conference on 27 September 2011 at Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta. About 1,000 participants representing government, business/private sector, civil society and donor organizations attended the conference to discuss the future of Indonesia's forests, which comprise the world's third largest tropical forest area. The President of Indonesia,

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to as SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired Indonesian Army, army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014 and the second president of Ind ...

, opened the conference and vowed to dedicate the last three years of his administration to safeguarding his nation's rainforests.

Global Landscapes Forum

The Global Landscapes Forum is an annual conference held alongside the UN climate negotiations to create a platform for positioning landscapes in the new international agreements on climate and sustainable development. The events bring thousands of negotiators, world leaders, researchers, civil society leaders, business leaders, practitioners and policymakers in agriculture, forestry and development, funding organizations, and media, making it the largest, most influential event outside the UNFCCC COP. Forum participants will benefit from joining the interactive process of seeking combined solutions to the complex challenges common to everyone on the planet.

Publications

Scientific results are made available to the international scientific community and policymakers through publications in international journals, policy briefs and training materials. In addition, CIFOR also disseminates its results in non-English journals, policy briefs, CD-ROMs and manuals.

References

*''As of 2 May 2011, this article uses content fro
CIFOR: Center for International Forestry Research
publications. This content has been licensed under the CC-By-SA and

GFDL The GNU Free Documentation License (GNU FDL or GFDL) is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) for the GNU Project. It is similar to the GNU General Public License, giving readers the rights ...

. All relevant terms must be followed.''

External links

*
PublicationsForests NewsGlobal Landscapes ForumForests and Climate ChangeREDD-Indonesia
{{authority control Research institutes in Indonesia International research institutes Forest research institutes Conservation projects Articles with imported dually licensed text International forestry organizations Forestry in Indonesia Organizations established in 1993 1993 establishments in Indonesia Intergovernmental organizations established by treaty Treaties of Australia Treaties of Sweden Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of the United States