What is Analog Forestry?

Analog Forestry is an approach to ecological restoration which uses natural forests as guides to create ecologically stable and socio-economically productive landscapes. Analog Forestry is a complex and holistic form of silviculture, which minimizes external inputs, such as agrochemicals and fossil fuels, instead fostering ecological function for resilience and productivity. Analog Forestry values not only ecological sustainability, but recognizes local rural communities’ social and economic needs, which can be met through the production of a diversity of useful and marketable goods and services, ranging from food to pharmaceuticals and fuel to fodder.

The Forest Garden Products certification standard has been developed to market products derived from Analog Forestry.

Analog Foresty Workshop

Workshop participants can observe how increasing biodiversity and regenerating forests can have a positive impact on the conservation of nature, quality of life, and economic well-being.can observe how increasing biodiversity and regenerating forests can have a positive impact on the conservation of nature, quality of life, and economic well-being.  This Workshop will provide participants with a hands on opportunity to understand the principles of Analog Forestry in a mature Analog Demonstration Site.  

Certification

Analog forestry seeks to create a production system that protects and increases biodiversity and ecosystem functions, while not relying on external, chemical inputs. As such, analog forestry producers go above and beyond traditional organic standards.

To recognize the efforts of these farmers, IAFN has developed the Forest Garden Product (FGP)certification for the international market. Currently, FGP standards are inspected by EcoLOGICA. of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

International Capacity Building Program

In line with IAFN’s mission of promoting the application of analog forestry techniques as a critical component of a new rural development paradigm, we manage an international capacity building program that focuses on the analog forestry methodology.  The core of our capacity building program is our analog forestry workshops, which range in length from 3-5 days. It covers topics such as the principles of analog forestry, rapid ecological evaluation of degraded sites, and the design of analog forestry regeneration plans. More information on these topics can be found in our training guides. We are also developing a more wide-ranging curriculum with capacity building activities related to ecological restoration.  In order to bring analog forestry trainings to an international audience, we collaborate with a network of trainers across the world. Many of these trainers are professional foresters, ecologists, or agronomists, and all of them have experience designing and implementing Analog Forestry projects.  Our trainings have been attended by NGO staff, forestry technicians, educators, researchers, and forest farmers from all walks of life across three continents. Currently, the IAFN has 4 training centers through the collaborative work of partners in Costa Rica, Cameroon, Bolivia and Sri Lanka.

If you or your organization is interested in hosting or attending a training, please contact us.

To see the results of previous trainings, see our Galleries page.

Online Training

IAFN is proud to launch a new online training program, which aims to make practical skill-building exercises available for the general public. Our first online course offering is a modified version of the analog forestry training developed by the Ibero-American Model Forest Network and CATIE in 2010.

Access to the course is password protected; to obtain your password free of charge, please fill out this form and a password will be sent to you.