Our HCV-HCS Work

In supporting the transition to responsible agricultural commodity production we work on the ground with companies, producers and smallholders. We provide services in the assessment of both HCVs and HCS forest, separately or in combination, at both site and landscape level. We have trained and licensed assessors in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

High Conservation Value

Proforest has a long history of working with the High Conservation Value methodology. In line with our belief in collaboration, we brought people together to discuss the need for an institutional basis for taking the HCV approach forward, and helped to secure the first funding from IKEA, which kick-started the HCV project in 2006.

While incubated within Proforest we formed part of the steering committee and contributed to the development of a charter. As the HCV Resource Network (now HCV Network) launched in 2015, we have continued to support the initiative as a member of the Management Committee.

We continue to use and implement the HCV approach in our work through assessments, training and guidance development. We are also supporting the innovation and adaptation of the HCV concept to new contexts, for example, for smallholders and landscapes.

High Carbon Stock Approach

Proforest has provided technical support to the Steering Group of the High Carbon Stock Approach since its inception. The HCSA methodology is a land use planning tool for identifying viable forest areas from degraded lands. This enables plantation companies, especially for palm, P&P and rubber, to distinguish what should be conserved and what may be developed as part of their ‘no deforestation’ commitments, while ensuring rights and livelihoods of local communities and workers are respected.

This means we provide combined HCV-HCS assessments for companies, and have also led several trials of the HCSA methodology for novel smallholder and high forest cover contexts, and in new geographic regions outside SEA Asia where the tool was first developed. We also co-led the HCSA Protection Working Group where we developed HCSA’s interim guidance on “Integrated Conservation and Land Use Plans”.

Tools & Training

We also provide training for companies and producers to understand the HCV-HCS approach and to qualify as HCV assessors and/or HCSA registered practitioners. We run public courses in the field and online through Proforest Academy, and offer bespoke courses in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Our publications showcase new ideas we develop through our work, and share new HCV tools and approaches with the community. One example is a simplified HCV tool for Independent Smallholders, designed and developed by Proforest, Daemeter, HCV Network and WRI for the RSPO.