We conducted 10 trainings through the 3-year project to improve the capacity of farmers and project team members. Some of these activities are cross-listed above. 

Year 1

A study tour and farmer exchange visit

28 November – 2 December 2007
Smallholder teak farmers were exposed to intensive teak production practices and teak processing industries. We visited teak processing factories in Jepara, Perum Perhutani plantations and the Teak Improvement Centre in Cepu; government and private tree nurseries at Bunder, Gunungkidul district; and community teak plantation at neighbouring villages in Playen subdistrict.

Verification of legal origin (VLO) and wood tracking system

12 – 14 February 2008 
Smallholder teak producers learned ways to improve market linkages and their marketing practices by enhancing their VLO, wood tracking awareness and farmer group capacity. Topics included the background and concept of wood tracking system for VLO, current regulation on community teak marketing, practical experiences in implementing a chain of custody system in forest community and field practices on tree marking system and wood legality documentation. Trainers included scientists working on this project and trainers from the district office of forestry and estate crops. Practical skills for implementing chain of custody were applied in Gombong subdistrict, Central Java. Tree marking practices were conducted in 5 felling areas in Gunungkidul District. Sixty participants attended the training including teak farmer representatives from 7 villages in 7 subdistricts, local traders, local press and staff from SENADA, a USAID-funded project on Indonesia competitiveness. The training was organised by the World Agroforestry Centre-Winrock International Marketing team. Simultaneously with the wood marketing training, project scientists from InterCAFE IPB provided learning activities to strengthen farmer motivation for collective action as a basic aspect for developing microfinance institutions. Farmers were also trained in how to practice simple accounting.

Year 2

On-site silviculture techniques

September and November 2008
We offered this technical training during the set-up of farmer demonstration trials. Farmers practiced silviculture techniques that included pruning, thinning, coppice management, and other stand measurement methods. The experiences built the confidence and ability to farmers to applying better management practices to their teak plantations. In the future, the farmer demonstration trials will provide avenues for more farmers to learn silviculture practices, through participatory monitoring and evaluation, as well as exchange visits and trainings. These activities will improve the capacity of the wider smallholder community to manage their teak plantations.

Writing workshop

1 – 5 December 2008  
We held at CIFOR campus to improve the project team's capacity to deliver scientific findings and practical messages to a diverse audience of stakeholders. The project team consists of partners from local research institutions, local government agencies, and farmers' representatives. Improving the capacity of individual team members contributes to enhancing the capacity of individual's institution.

Year 3

Smallholder teak silviculture manual field test

September 2009 
This field testing of the draft manual included 107 participants, 93 farmers and 14 local technical specialists They provided useful feedback to improve the applicability of the silviculture manual. The field test also built farmers' awareness and understanding of effective silvicultural practices and provided an opportunity for farmers to discuss silvicultural management with specialists and farmer peers.

Silviculture practice field days

October 2009              
A series of farmer field days demonstrated silvicultural practices that improve timber production and quality, using the tested silviculture manual as a guideline. In all, 73 farmers, local extension officers and other stakeholders participated at the farmer demonstration trial sites.

Cattle raising

13 November 2009      
As part of the microfinance activities, the project team organised a training about raising cattle, attended by 27 participants, including leaders of the LKM Gunung Seribu and some farmer group representatives. During the training, a microfinance contract that took into account local practices was developed. This model contract is part of the microfinance design.

Sustainable forest management

4 – 24 December 2009                      
Taking the lessons learnt from project activities and findings, the Forest Farmers Consortium organised awareness raising events at 7 villages of the project sites. These presentations were attended by about 225 participants: farmers, village officers, timber traders and extension officers. Topics included the benefits of collective action, forest management and timber trade administration.

Year 4

Writing workshop

28 February – 3 March 2011
At this second writing workshop project at CIFOR Campus, participants reviewed draft articles for a technical publication based on the work of the ACIAR teak project. Ten project team members participated in this workshop. After the technical review participants visited a microfinance institution in Cisarua near Bogor.