In 2013, CIFOR will mark 20 years of working for forests and people. During that time, the organisation has made significant contributions to research and practice in the field. For example, CIFOR’s early research on areas such as underlying causes of deforestation, alternatives to slash and burn, reduced-impact logging, and community forest management have changed the way we protect, conserve and sustainably manage this critical resource.

However, CIFOR has not only looked at the natural environment through its work, it has also put the concerns of people who rely on the forest for livelihoods at the centre: CIFOR research on non-timber forest products, gender, human rights and tenure has helped some of the world’s poorest people.

This annual report showcases CIFOR’s role in empowering decision makers for forests in communities across the globe and CIFOR’s ability to innovate and respond to new knowledge and challenges.

CIFOR has seen a number of changes during 2012. Peter Holmgren taken the reigns as Director General after Frances Seymour stepped down. We have also been joined by a new Deputy Director General, Peter Kanowski.

We welcome both Peter Holmgren and Peter Kanowski to CIFOR and are excited to embark on the next stages of growth in the organisation and to improve outcomes for forests with them at the helm.

The Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Frances for her leadership at CIFOR and her passion for forestry issues, which will have a lasting contribution to the organisation and to the forestry field at large.

The 20th anniversary year will be one for reflecting on our achievements and looking forward to what needs to be done next. Forestry has never been more important and CIFOR is unable to carry out its work alone. Our relationships with partners and donors are growing each year and this helps increase CIFOR’s influence and reach.

 

M. Hosny El Lakany
Chair, Board of Trustees