Locally owned solutions for thriving and climate-resilient landscapes — In conversation with Joost van Montfort

Is there a central concept that guides you as director of TBI?

TBI envisions a future where sustainable forest use and development go hand in hand, contributing to local livelihoods, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. I think this requires solutions that are developed and implemented by local actors themselves. As far as I am concerned, such locally owned solutions are at the heart of our work. It is what TBI has always stood for. And history proves us right. Most top-down solutions don’t stick. Solutions that come from below have more traction, and more chance to survive. Ultimately, they will have greater impact. And that is what we aim for.

What do locally owned solutions look like?

We focus on frontier landscapes. These are areas where forests are threatened by agricultural expansion, where people live in poverty and are vulnerable to climate change. It is in these landscapes where local and global challenges come together, and where solutions need to be found. Solutions will differ from place to place, but what they have in common is that they address challenges in the landscape from multiple angles. They require changes, not only to land-use practices, but also to the governance of natural resources and to the functioning of businesses and financial mechanisms.

How would you describe the role of TBI in this?

We partner with local communities and others to develop and implement solutions at the level of the landscape. But it does not stop there. Together with like-minded organizations we try to influence the policies of government agencies, NGOs and international organizations, to create enabling conditions for lasting success.

TBI is relatively small. Does that have consequences for its potential to change the policies and practices of international players?

We focus on innovative approaches. We must show what works and what doesn’t. Based on this, we can guide the larger organizations in the right direction; we can influence where they go. We are not specialized in lobbying and advocacy, so we must work in smart coalitions. We need to work in partnership with other organizations to be more effective in influencing policies and practices.

How is TBI different than other organizations?

First, what sets us apart is that we explicitly focus on frontier landscapes. Second, we work with local stakeholders to develop and implement locally owned solutions. We are able to do that because we have longstanding connections with local groups and governments in those landscapes. We are trusted by local stakeholders. Most other international organizations are not as embedded in the landscape as we are. Third, we focus on mobilizing a range of knowledge systems, from Indigenous worldviews to state-of-the-art science, to strengthen locally owned solutions.

What is the added value of being organized in a network?

Within the network, partners can learn from each other. This helps them to better understand what works and why, and to sharpen their interventions and strategies. Also, being organized in a network helps to exert influence. After all, a message has more weight when it comes from ten organizations instead of one. And as a network we have better opportunities to develop programmes and look for funding.

Among funders there seems to be more emphasis on organizations that represent certain groups in society. TBI does not really represent a group, so how would you describe its licence to operate?

In international development, questions about legitimacy are getting more and more attention. Who represents whom? We also need to think about that. Our focus is on local communities, but we do not represent them. So that means that we should not advocate on their behalf. Instead, we should enable communities to advocate for themselves. We should help them with identifying, and acting on, possibilities to improve their conditions and influence. If we do that well, it will give us credibility. In the end, credibility is our licence to operate.

What are your ambitions for Tropenbos?

We want to at least double our impact. This requires us to critically reflect on our role and achievements. Sometimes we may have to deprioritize activities that do not lead to the desired impact, and we must identify where and how we can be more effective.

Could you name something that would require more attention?

More attention can be paid to collaborative learning for collective action. Technology offers all kinds of new possibilities. During the Covid-19 pandemic we saw a rise in the use of online technologies to facilitate interactions. And the possibilities go much further. In communities today, almost everyone has a mobile phone. This makes it possible for people from different communities to interact, to learn and exchange information, and to develop collective action. As TBI, we can facilitate such processes, and we have still much room to learn and improve. This is especially relevant at the level of the landscape.

Before TBI, you worked for various environmental organizations. What lessons do you bring with you?

I learned that large organizations are not necessarily more effective than small organizations. Rather, the reverse. Moreover, large conservation organizations are often more conservative, lack agility, and are weighed down by internal politics. We cannot expect them to be the real game changers. They can help to promote innovations and change systems, but they are not the ones driving bottom-up innovations. This means that there is an important niche for an organization like TBI. We can do all sorts of things that larger organizations cannot, because they are too large and unwieldy.

I also learned the importance of understanding the bigger picture, understanding the political economy, understanding value chains. I once worked on a project meant to increase smallholders’ coffee production. The project was successful in achieving its objective. However, as the supply of coffee rose, prices fell, and the farmers were worse off. We hadn’t given enough thought beforehand about how the value chain worked. Without a good understanding of the bigger picture, you will make mistakes. This is why I think that TBI’s focus on knowledge is so important.

Banner photo: Joost van Montfort receiving a weaved carrier from Sherina, a Dayak woman, from Mekar Raya village in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo: Irpan Lamago