Forest-based associations as drivers for sustainable development in Uganda

Uganda's 2,000-3,000 forest-based associations play an important role in the country's sustainable development. They include community groups made up of individuals (and often with a strong social focus) and industrial groups made up of enterprises (and often with a commercial focus). They span a number of different areas: forest production (both timber and non-timber forest products), primary and secondary processing, management, training and enterprise support and environmental services (such as ecotourism or carbon sequestration projects). This report surveys 62 different associations. It charts the reasons for their formation, the systems by which they govern their activities, the distribution of costs and benefits to members and the nature of external intervention and support. It draws out lessons about the types of association that contribute most to rural livelihoods and appropriate forms of support.