2024 was a year of learning and transformation for CSFEP.

Letter from the Program Director

2024 was a year of learning and transformation for CSFEP.

While we have always embraced learning and iteration, 2024 marked a turning point. Last year, we made some big changes–letting go of parts of the program we deeply valued but no longer felt positioned to lead, and reorganising ourselves to better support the opportunities that excited us most.

I have had the privilege of being part of CSFEP’s journey since its inception in mid-2020. While I am deeply passionate about our work and mission, I have often felt frustrated by global conversations about biobased construction and regenerative forest economies. Too often, these discussions feel abstract, top-down, and dominated by perspectives from the Global North.

The disconnect between how leaders worldwide speak about these topics and what CSFEP sees on the ground has always felt stark. To me, the most inspiring examples of regenerative forest economies are those being cultivated by our local partners in Africa, Central America, or Southeast Asia. But these economies are rarely acknowledged in global conversations.

When I share what CSFEP has seen and learnt in places like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, I’m often met with complete surprise. Even seasoned global experts seem unaware of the thriving biobased construction economies outside of Europe and Northern America.

Yet these are the very economies that excite us the most. Across low and middle-income countries in the Global South, we see enormous potential for regenerative forest economies to create transformative impact. These regions are also where we see the greatest need for more connections, communications, and funding to help these nascent industries thrive.

So in 2024, thanks to the incredible support from our Advisory Council, we reimagined CSFEP to better respond to emerging opportunities in the Global South. Regions like East Africa are home to incredible local partners pursuing ambitious goals, and we are committed to doing everything we can to support them.

As we close out this transformative year, we are excited to share the key lessons we learnt in 2024, how these insights have shaped our ongoing direction, and what we still aspire to achieve.

In partnership,

Robyn van den Heuvel, Program Director

Three Lessons from 2024

Lesson #1: Be connectors

Low- and middle-income countries in the Global South are home to many entrepreneurs driving innovation in biobased construction. Yet their businesses often lack opportunities to build strong connections to other businesses and regional stakeholders. And when outsiders, such as investors, come into this disconnected environment, they sometimes fail to fully comprehend the larger industry picture or understand where each individual organisation is innovating.

This fragmentation stifles progress; for example, leading to duplicated efforts when several businesses try to solve the same technical problem separately.

In the past… CSFEP partnered with one or two standout organisations per region.

Now… We take a broader approach. We identify key innovators in a region and bring them together to create a coalition that works for them. We support these coalitions in building regenerative forest economies that meet the needs of their communities--and in connecting to investors or policymakers in a coordinated manner.

What’s next… We want coalitions to be spaces where forest actors can lead. Forest owners and managers–who have traditionally held the least power in the biobased construction industry–must play a central role. In 2025, we’re asking, “How can we ensure forest actors have the voice and influence they need to shape a forest products economy that will protect forests and strengthen forest communities?”

Lesson #2: Be storytellers

Aside from a few well-known examples, the achievements of the Global South biobased construction industry largely go unnoticed. This lack of visibility creates the false impression that little innovation is happening outside the Global North.

In the past… CSFEP focused on helping individual businesses improve their environmental, social, and climate impacts, but often neglected to help them share their stories.

Now… We encourage coalitions to spotlight their work and learning. Through presentations, panels, case studies, reports, and more, we aim to help coalition members showcase their collective achievements and educate others in the field.

What’s next… We want to equip coalition members with the tools to tell their own stories effectively. When individual organizations across the Global South tell their stories well, we can build a unified narrative that showcases the rich diversity of innovation.

Lesson #3: Be investment advocates

The transition to sustainable forest economies in low and middle income countries in the Global South faces a significant hurdle: under-investment. This gap isn’t driven by lack of money, but rather, lack of risk appetite. Many investors are more familiar with Global North innovation and may feel uncertain or uncomfortable exploring opportunities elsewhere. Even those willing to invest often prefer to fund the application of Global North technologies to Global South challenges, even where local solutions would work better.

In the past… CSFEP often focused on single demonstration buildings within regions. While these projects were often successful, a single building wasn’t enough to sufficiently prove the industry.

Now… We aim to support multiple projects that showcase a range of solutions. By highlighting the success of diverse approaches– different species, different technologies, and products–we can help reduce the perceived risks for investors. By emphasizing Global South-led innovation, we help investors (and others) see the value of homegrown solutions over imported ideas that may not be a good fit.

What’s next… CSFEP is working to attract new investment into East Africa’s biobased construction sector, to drive the innovation needed for sustainable growth.

Finally, we want to share three emerging insights that we’re excited to explore further in 2025:

1To drive positive climate outcomes, we will need a much clearer understanding of the supply-and-demand balance in each region–and the specific levers we can pull to balance them.

2 Demand-side actors overwhelmingly view forests as risks to manage, rather than opportunities to advocate for. Shifting this perception will be critical.

3To succeed in building regenerative forest economies across the Global South, we are going to need better data, broader alliances, and compelling demonstrations of what is possible.

Armed with new insights, goals, and questions, we’re entering 2025 ready to collaborate with our partners on building regenerative forest economies in East Africa–and beyond.

We can’t wait to continue learning together.