To improve the management and marketing of both natural and planted teak in all the tropical regions, ITTO, Japan has established and activity entitled “Enhancing Teak Management”. With the support of the Federal Republic of Germany through the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), ITTO is currently executing a teak project in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) covering 5 countries, namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The first regional workshop on sustainable teak management is being organised by the Forest Research institute of Myanmar in collaboration with Cambodia’s Forestry Administration (FA), Lao PDR's National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), Thailand’s Royal Forest Department (RFD) and Kasetsart University (KU) and Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences (VAFS) as well as the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO). Participation by invitation only.
I. Review status of conservation of teak genetic resources, natural teak forest management and sustainable teak plantations in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
II. Review policy and institutional arrangements for legal and sustainable supply chains and investment for teak forests.
III. Review and share experiences on case studies, good practices and policy options to empower local communities and smallholders in planted teak and teak management, and agroforestry systems to support sustainable livelihoods
The ITTO Teak Project in Mekong will support invited participants from the five participating countries and selected experts.