Improving Forestry Governance in Tanzania: The Role of the Private Sector

Policy Forum Breakfast Debate

Private sector has been involved in forestry initiatives for a long time but more recently there has been growing waves of interests to try to understand their role in improving forestry governance. Scholarly findings have indicated private sector involvement to be much debated especially with current trends on global mechanisms such as REDD+ of which Tanzania is also a party. Various initiatives have been initiated to understand and learn how the role of private sector might help improve forestry governance in developing countries. In many occasions, such initiatives have drawn private sector among other actors in discussions with the aim of drawing lessons specifically on transparency and accountability in forestry governance.

This breakfast debate will borrow from such initiatives and center the discussions in the Tanzania context. The debate will aim to bring out lessons and challenges that the government and other actors may learn from private sector in the efforts to strengthen forestry governance. Specifically the debate will explore the following questions: What is the role of private sector in improving forestry governance? What interventions can private sector contribute? What are the existing lessons from private sector that others can learn from?

Ben Sulus, the President of SHIVIMITA, will give a presentation on the Role of the Private Sector in Forestry Governance. James Laizer, Co-Director of Sound and Fair will provide an overview of a Case Study of Private Forestry Plantations Practices in Improving Forestry Governance. Kahana Lukumbuzya will be a discussant. TNRF will facilitate the debate.