Abstract
This paper examines international experiences in attempts to link forestry activities with poverty reduction. It will focus mainly on experiences from Asia. The outcomes of pro-poor forestry have not been strikingly impressive, although there are some positive examples. One problem has been that critical documentation has been relatively rare. Referring to a number of specifi c examples, the aim of the paper is to identify some of the factors that constrain pro-poor outcomes as well as factors that enable effective outcomes. The paper addresses questions of distributional equity (is it the poor who really benefi t?), tenure and effective control over forest resources. A key point that is stressed is the importance of continued evaluation of the costs compared to the benefi ts of interventions from the point of view of the participants.