The Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

The Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is an international research and global knowledge institution committed to conserving forests and improving the livelihoods of people in the tropics. CIFOR employs over 150 staff at its headquarters in Bogor, Indonesia and at its regional offices in Brazil, Cameroon and Zimbabwe. CIFOR's high impact research helps local communities and small farmers gain their rightful share of forest resources, while increasing the production and value of forest products. CIFOR has developed and implemented a research program called Adaptive Collaborative Management (ACM), to address the problems and simultaneously contribute to our scientific understanding of the processes involved in 30 study sites in 11 countries around the world. The ACM approach aims to improve the adaptiveness and collaborativeness of stakeholders in managing their natural resources. Communication, cooperation, negotiation and conflict management are the collaborative elements of ACM, while social learning across stakeholder groups, and within each group required for management to be responsive represent the adaptive element of ACM.