Consortium Members

We carefully selected our members for leadership and innovation in one or more of the consortium's three focus areas. All are committed to working within this integrated framework to improve environmental stewardship around the world.

Chemonics International Inc. is an leader in international consulting, providing training, management, and technical assistance services to clients in more than 100 countries. The firm's expertise in governance, micro-enterprise, agriculture, and natural resources management complements the specialty areas of the BIOFOR-dedicated team.

Founded in 1975, Chemonics merges community-based organizational development with support for product development and marketing in sustainably managed areas. Moreover, the firm has demonstrated that "ecoregional" planning -- an approach that links ecosystem management and economic development -- can provide a firm foundation for broad-based conservation strategies.

ACDI/VOCA, with 35 years of USAID contracting experience, works with indigenous NGOs, member-owned cooperatives, and associations to improve the lives of the rural poor; works with local governments to improve district planning for environmental protection; helps provide infrastructure to promote economic development while stabilizing buffer zones; helps strengthen the private sector through technical, business, and financial-management training; and helps develop microenterprises.

Environment International Ltd. is an interdisciplinary team of scientists, policy analysts, attorneys, and mediators who specialize in the scientific and regulatory aspects of environmental programs. A woman-owned, small-business enterprise, its experts offer training and experience in science, environmental management, standards auditing, law, policy, and alternative dispute resolution.

Fintrac Inc. specializes in natural-product market-development research and positioning, market information systems development and training, and Web site development and training. The small, woman-owned consulting firm also designs workshops and training courses, leads corporate delegations on international market tours, and works with counterparts to develop market-entry or expansion plans.

PA Consulting (formerly Hagler Bailly Services) provides policy advice and technical assistance  in the environment, water, energy, and transportation sectors. The firm, which was founded in 1980 and has worked in more than 110 countries, has extensive experience helping developing and transitional economies prepare climate-change action plans, create national environmental strategies that stress biodiversity conservation, and meet obligations under international environmental agreements.

Pact, Inc. works with communities to research sustainable income-generating activities, such as biodiversity prospecting, ecotourism, and the responsible use of natural resources. It also helps local organizations expand their financial resources by channeling funds from donor organizations, designing sub-grant mechanisms, developing new sources of finance, and providing training.

Paul Smith's College, the College of the Adirondacks, specializes in sustainable forest management, community-based forestry, forestry extension, forest enterprise development, and forest product certification. The college works to establish nature and biosphere reserves, particularly in Asia, bringing together local forest managers, technicians, and policy makers with their U.S. counterparts to observe state-of-the-art forest management techniques.

The Forest Management Trust promotes forest-management practices that provide competitive financial returns, maintain biological function and diversity, and ensure that local populations benefit economically from participation. In addition to a number of other services, the nonprofit organization works with partners in forest certification and concession policy to develop markets and define standards for certified timber and non-timber products.

The University of Florida offers internationally recognized programs in ecological and environmental sciences focusing on global climate change. Various university departments are home to experts in wildlife population adaptations to environmental and climate change. Experts are also working to explore the dynamics and ecology of landscapes -- including the effects of human activity on tropical land use and primary forest cover -- using remote-sensing and GIS technology.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Office of International Research and Development manages a portfolio of $24 million, making it one of the top five university recipients of USAID contracts and grants. Virginia Tech maintains the largest non-government wood-technology and product-development laboratory in the United States, and has demonstrated leadership in timber and non-traditional forest-product development.

Key Features of the BIOFOR IQC  |  BIOFOR Areas of Specialization
The Chemonics Consortium: A Three-Pronged Approach
Technical Expertise & Geographic Coverage  |  Consortium Members
Collaborating Institutions  |  BIOFOR Management Support
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