akar.earthIFM: Definition
What is IFM (improved forest management)? How IFM projects change logging to store more carbon, how results are measured, and the Indonesian concession angle.
IFM (improved forest management) is a category of forest carbon projects that change how a production forest is managed so it stores more carbon or emits less, while the land stays forest. Typical activities include stopping or reducing logging, extending rotations and switching to reduced-impact logging.
Why it matters
Logging concessions cover large areas of tropical forest. Conventional selective logging damages residual trees, builds skid trails and leaves large amounts of dead wood, releasing carbon. IFM puts a price on keeping more carbon in managed forests and can fund a shift from timber income to conservation income. It sits alongside REDD+, which focuses on preventing conversion.
How IFM is measured
- Baseline: the legally permitted and economically likely harvest without the project, often based on the concession’s management plan.
- Project scenario: actual harvest volumes and carbon stocks, measured with plots and remote sensing.
- Emissions from logging: felled biomass, logging damage, skid trails and roads.
- Leakage: reduced timber supply may push harvest elsewhere, so market leakage deductions apply.
Methodologies cover conversion from logged to protected forest, reduced-impact logging and extended rotation. Verra and other programmes have IFM methods; check current versions and whether they carry CCP approval. Our IFM guide goes deeper.
Indonesia angle
In Indonesia, natural-forest logging takes place under PBPH licences (formerly HPH and IUPHHK). Some concessions have explored converting logging rights to ecosystem restoration or carbon-focused management. The baseline must reflect what the licence and the annual work plan actually allow, not a theoretical maximum. See PBPH licences. Domestic rules under Permenhut 6/2026 shape which forestry carbon activities can be traded and by whom.
Common mistakes
- Setting a baseline harvest above what the permit or market would realistically support.
- Ignoring market leakage when timber output drops.
- Confusing IFM with REDD+ in credit marketing.
Related terms
See REDD+, leakage and dead wood, or start at the REDD+ hub.
Frequently asked questions
What activities count as improved forest management?
Common examples are converting logged forest to protected forest, extending harvest rotations, reduced-impact logging and lowering harvest intensity.
Is IFM the same as REDD+?
No. REDD+ avoids conversion of forest to other land uses. IFM keeps land as managed forest but changes how it is harvested and managed to increase carbon stocks or reduce emissions.