Network : RDFN
The Rural Development Forestry Network (RDFN) has always been an important component of the outreach programme of the Forest Policy and Environment Programme (FPEP), as its history and achievements show.
The Network disseminates information on key issues in tropical forestry to 2900 members around the world (since 1993 these have been published in English, French and Spanish). It aims to influence policy and decision-makers (about 30% of its membership) in both governments and international aid agencies. To do this it disseminates information provided by its strong base in the research community (about 37% of its membership), which is validated by the day-to-day project experience of the Network’s NGO and consultancy members (about 30% of its membership). Over the years, members have received a thematic set of papers twice yearly including policy reviews and case studies.
Thanks to a grant from the Ford Foundation’s Worldwide Environment and Development Affinity Group (EDAG), the full collection of RDFN papers is available on CD-Rom and this website in Adobe PDF format.
Mailing number 26, on the socio-economic, organisational and production aspects of Community Forestry in Nepal was published jointly with the Journal of Forest and Livelihood and is the last in the present series.
Our original aim in 1985 was to ensure that forestry focused more on people than on timber, and we feel that this has been broadly achieved. We are currently engaged in a process of reflection on the network’s future role. During this period of change it has been decided to suspend new membership. People with internet access can still join our email update list and receive new publications electronically.