The Reforestation Value Chain for the Philippines

Abstract

The Philippines has almost 100 years of reforestation experience. In spite of this long history, reforestation efforts in the country have not reaped much success. In this paper, we propose that a more holistic and sustainable strategy be adopted for reforestation in the Philippines. We propose that a chain of key activities that add value to the whole reforestation be identified right at the start. This “reforestation value chain” (ReV Chain) can then be used as a guide for reforestation projects, from design to implementation to evaluation. Our main thesis is that the success of a reforestation project should take into account each of the components of the value chain right from the very beginning. The ReV Chain has several implications. First, reforestation efforts that address only part of the chain are likely to be unsustainable. In other words, each component of the value chain should be well thought of from the outset of a reforestation project. Second, policy makers and stakeholders will be better informed on where in the chain they can contribute best.