Forest Solution’s Group launches new report on how to create shared value with local communities in the forest sector
In November, the Forest Solutions Group team travelled to Belém, Brazil, for COP30 to support members and take part in events marking the launch of our new report: Build Trust, Share Value in the Forest: Principles for Community Engagement and Development.
Developed together with FSG members, the report provides a practical framework to help forest companies move from reactive engagement to proactively creating shared value with local communities. It goes beyond high-level guidance to show what meaningful community engagement looks like in practice, offering actionable insights tailored to the realities land managers face. The message is clear: community engagement and development are not add-ons, but central to long-term business success.
Our primary launch event, hosted at the Forest Pavilion, featured powerful perspectives from Chief Almir Narayamoga Suruí, Francisco Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Empresas CMPC, and Jane Molony, Executive Director of Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa.
The discussion brought together diverse voices from across the sector, reflecting on how forestry’s role in local communities has evolved—and where challenges remain. Despite differing perspectives, there was strong alignment: in a sector so closely connected to land, livelihoods and local identity, building trust and sharing value is a business imperative.
The report—and the conversations it has sparked—will form the foundation for continued sector collaboration. We look forward to engaging a broader group of stakeholders to strengthen this shared value framework and drive meaningful impact across the forest sector.