This initiative – led by Pilot Projects – is designed to incentivise forest conservation by strengthening local and global value chains for forest products in Guyana! The Forest Value Creation Hubs will connect small timber and NTFP producers with reliable domestic markets and internationally recognised group certification to boost high-end niche exports. The Design Innovation and Training Hub will integrate traditional crafts with international design expertise, training artisans to create high-value furniture and interior products.

This project, in partnership with an extensive Guyanese consortium and supported by UK PACT, addresses key infrastructure, institutional, and market barriers. It aims to enhance economic opportunities for forest and coastal communities while promoting forest-positive management practices. This project builds on the participation of Georgetown (Guyana) as part of the Cities4Forests network, and the city’s support of far forests through their Conservation Timber Works pilot and Partner Forest program. Visit our page on the official project launch to learn more about the event!

Explore images from our recent Forest Value Hubs visit to Guyana:

Courtesy of Terry Roopnaraine.

In the Media

The launch of the project had good coverage in both national and international media:

"Forest Value Hubs Aimed at Encouraging Value-Added Timber Production While Preserving Ecosystems" (Bing News Video Report)

"New Project to Enable Forest Communities to Derive Greater Benefits from Forest Resources"

Stabroek News | May 14, 2025

"Un projet de 192 millions de dollars lancé pour développer la transformation locale du bois"

Europe-Guyane | May 13, 2025

The goal of this project is to pilot a replicable model in Guyana that incentivizes forest conservation by strengthening local value-creation systems and in national and international markets. It addresses infrastructure, institutional, equity, and market challenges that have constrained the forestry sector’s potential to support meaningful livelihoods in forest and coastal communities. This will be achieved through:

1. Enhanced Forest Value Creation Hub

Connecting small forest producers with reliable offtake, specialised equipment, and resources to improve returns. The hub will provide value-added processors with consistent high-quality-volumes of fit-for-purpose cuts, as well as non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for local and export markets. More small producers will gain access to value-added processing and group certification through Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), increasing high-end niche exports.

2. Enhanced Design Innovation and Training Hub

Linking upstream and downstream actors, the hub will decentralize existing niche production methods and drive product innovation and market growth. Local craft traditions will integrate with international designers to create new product lines. Craftspeople will be trained by master trainers to produce furniture and other interior products enhancing value and returns. 

3. Strengthened Equity, Institutional Capacity and Stakeholder Market Collaborations 

Fostering social and gender equity in the value chain, promoting sustainable products, networking upstream and downstream actors, and developing sustainable policies. Inequalities in the value chain will be explicitly addressed, with outcomes monitored through a novel Safeguards Information System to offer a scalable model for the sector.

Forest Value Hub and Design, Innovation & Training Hub Ideation Workshops

October 2025 marked an intensive period of activities and accomplishments of the project due to our whole consortium gathering and travelling in Guyana, and extensive on-the-ground and in-person activities with our stakeholders. These included significant progress in planning, stakeholder engagement, and initial infrastructure development for both hubs. A Design & Innovation Hub Ideation Workshop was held in October 2025 at Liana Cane Furnishings, attended by key stakeholders, including the British High Commissioner Jane Miller. This workshop served as the hub’s inauguration and was crucial for co-creating the hub’s vision, goals, and implementation plan. A Forest Value Hub Ideation Workshop was held at the Bina Hill Institute, attended by key stakeholders. This workshop served as the hub’s inauguration and was crucial for co-creating the hub’s vision, goals, and implementation plan.