IUFRO Small-scale Forestry Conference – Sept 25, 2012

Tim Brigham Centre for Livelihoods and Ecology

Royal Roads University

Community Development in Canada’s North:

Lessons from the Northern Forest Diversification Centre

Presentation outline

• The Northern Manitoba context

• Overview of The Northern Forest Diversification Centre

• Achievements and challenges

• Key lessons of the NFDC

The context

“Poor people in a rich land”

• Large Aboriginal population (65%)

• By-passed by development • 70 – 90% unemployment• Traplines, commercial fishing –

govt./community jobs limited• “even for fighting fires you need

a paper”

The Northern Forest Diversification Centre

• Under University College of The North

• Training, research, & service centre for the Manitoba NTFP Industry

• Operated from 2000 to end of 2006

Focus:

• First Nations/Metis communities with limited economic opportunities and high/chronic unemployment

The NFDC mission

• To develop local economic opportunities

• Which are aligned with local values

• Using local resources

• For the benefit of local people

The NFDC Vision

For the Manitoba NTFP Industry: • a network of community-based and

diverse enterprises supported by a 21st century packaging and marketing infrastructure

The NFDC Community Development Model

• Focused on seasonal income creation – not job creation

• Combining local knowledge & skills with processing and market expertise

• NTFPs: a tool for positive socio-economic change in marginalized communities

The NFDC Community Development Model

Integrated approach:• Range of services from

awareness raising & training through to product & market development & on-going support

Harvester training program

• Awareness building workshops and meetings• Accessible: no age or education restriction• Community-based delivery • Mix of classroom/shop/field activities

• Sustainable harvesting & handling• Plant Identification, basic bush skills• Adding value & identifying opportunities

Product and micro-enterprise development

• Harvester Certification• Organic Certification• New product development• Product standards• Quality control• On-going training

opportunities• Traceability

Marketing & Market Development

• Buying depots & inventory• Packaging, labeling & shipping• Trade shows (National & International)• Website and catalogues (NFDC & others)• New market development• Brokers

NFDC achievements

• Completed training in 10 communities with > 100 participants

• Purchased & marketed product from over 400 harvesters in 25 communities

• Catalogue with over 100 products (herbal teas, skin salves, crafts & wholesale ingredients)

• “you’re telling me what I know has value!”

NFDC achievements

• Important coordinating function for marketing products

• Upward pressure on pricing – better returns to harvesters (i.e., sweetgrass)

• Follow-up support for business development• ‘staying ahead of the curve’• Developing internal capacity

NFDC: Major challenges

• Resources stretched thin (activities & area)• Fit with UCN: varying support & differing

visions• Unrealistic expectations & uneven capacity• Victim of its own success? • Overall: ambitious program but limited

resources

NFDC: Key Lessons

Leadership & governance

• Need for champions at different levels• Must plan for succession• Need buy-in from those in decision-making

roles

NFDC: Key Lessons

Harvester Support• Must be long-term!• Tailored to where they’re at• Significant costs if goal =

widespread + equitable impacts

NFDC: Key Lessons

Social enterprise or for profit?• Returns maximized to harvesters• High cost of serving these

communities• Vertical integration of services = key

to success

The future

• What sort of future is possible for these communities?

• What does ‘success’ look like?• NFDC a model with promise – learn from it,

improve on it (bring it back)• Have realistic, transparent goals• Look beyond $ & jobs: those measures

not enough* • A stepping stone to somewhere else?

* There is a research project here….

Thanks to Brian Belcher, Rob Penner, Anne Munier, and Jodi GriffithAndDave Buck (ex-Manager of the NFDC)

Acknowledgements

Further reading

Supporting Canada’s non-timber forest product sector: Lessons from Manitoba’s Northern Forest Diversification Centre

BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management11(1&2):103-120. 2010.

http://jem.forrex.org/index.php/jem/article/view/72

Community development in Canada’s North

Thank You!

For more information:

www.royalroads.ca/cle

e-mail: Tim.Brigham@royalroads.ca