Agricultural expansion, logging, mining and infrastructure development in areas surrounding primary forests, and sometimes in primary forests themselves, threaten the health of these vital ecosystems. Addressing these pressures requires cross-sectoral solutions that shift the underlying system enabling unsustainable commodity expansion towards a new, more sustainable equilibrium. This includes promoting approaches that transform how land is planned, how commodities are produced, traded and consumed, and how investments flow.  

Our approach

The SEAP Forests IP works to reduce the footprint of commodity production and value chains on primary forests through four interconnected strategies:

• Strengthening land governance: promoting cross-sectoral land-use planning and robust tenure regimes that advance sustainable economic development, secure livelihoods and advance forest conservation objectives
• Enhancing value chain governance: building transparent commodity supply chains that support verification of forest-friendly sourcing, including through enhanced traceability mechanisms
• Promoting sustainable agricultural production systems: supporting biodiversity-friendly farming practices that support livelihoods and protect the resource base
• Building transformative partnerships: fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration at regional, national and sub-national levels  

At the regional level, the program facilitates knowledge exchange and peer learning across countries, enabling them to share approaches, coordinate efforts, and develop common standards for responsible commodity production and trade, reducing the risk of primary forest loss embedded in regional and global supply chains.