An interview with Dr Eduardo Pesqueira Olea, Secretary of Agriculture and Water Resources, the United Mexican States
Unasylva: Mr Secretary, why was Mexico interested in hosting the Ninth World Forestry Congress?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: The World Forestry Congress in itself offers a number of advantages to whichever country has the honour to be selected as its venue.
The fact of assembling in Mexico forestry intellectuals from all over the world and of having the opportunity to strengthen the ties between our own reality and that of other countries would alone justify the event, but the World Forestry Congress offers much more: it enables us to reinforce our mechanisms of exchange with countries that can contribute scientific and technological information appropriate to our development conditions, and to establish technical, scientific and commercial cooperation agreements with other countries with common interests; and it enables our national scientific community dealing with forest activities to learn directly of progress and trends in forestry science and technology in other countries and regions. It will project the true image of Mexico's forest potential internationally.
Unasylva: What will sponsoring the Congress mean for Mexico - for its forestry programme and for the country as a whole?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: The National Programme for Temperate and Broad-leaved Forests (PRO-NABSE) has been worked out within the National Planning System, and it establishes clearly the aims, strategy, scope and actions to be carried out in the near future to invigorate forestry activities. For that purpose, the presence of technicians at the World Forestry Congress will allow a revision and even an enrichment of some aspects of our programme, based on the experiences of other countries that have faced similar challenges in their turn and overcome them successfully. The Congress represents to the country in general an excellent promotional opportunity to encourage forestry education, a fundamental element in forestry development in our country. Only a country conscious of the volume and value of its resources-can maximize their development.
Unasylva: What efforts will you be making to inform the Mexican people about the Congress and to involve them in its activities? How much regional and international attention do you expect the Congress to attract?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: In answer to your first question, we will use all necessary means to obtain the widest diffusion of the Congress through every communications medium - the press, radio and TV - to inform people about all activities before, during and after the Congress, and to make them realize the significance of the world's forest resources, and particularly those of Mexico.
In conjunction with this information process, we will involve the people in the Congress by carrying out a scientific, cultural and technical programme consisting of events in keeping with the theme of the Congress, "forestry resources in the integral development of society". This programme was started last March. The technical and scientific forestry community is participating in discussions and proposals for alternative solutions to the more pressing problems in Mexico's forest activities.
Furthermore, we will foster promotional activities on forestry culture before and after the event, including a conference on forestry communication and culture, a poster and photography show, an international forest film festival, and concerts of music for wooden instruments.
We believe that the Congress has already attracted the world's attention because of the special circumstances existing today that have made many countries clearly realize the importance of forest resources for the development and conservation of their environments. The member countries of FAO, Mexico among them, have stated this interest by declaring 1985 the International Year of the Forest, an event that will reach its peak at the Ninth World Forestry Congress.
Unasylva: The theme of the Congress is "forest resources in the integral development of society". Why was that theme chosen?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: The theme clearly defines the value of forest activities in the world, and in each specific country, at the economic, ecological and social levels, since the goods and services supplied by forests at these levels satisfy directly or indirectly the needs of urban as well as rural communities, so that a solid interrelationship is built, one that must be sustained and improved upon for future generations.
Unasylva: It is anticipated that the Congress will result in a "Mexico Declaration' much as the Eighth World Forestry Congress resulted in a Jakarta Declaration. What is such a declaration likely to contain? What can be done to ensure that action to implement the declaration will be undertaken soon after the Congress ends?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: The Mexico Declaration will be the result of Congress discussions and recommendations, and we hope that it will deal with the most serious problems affecting forest resources conservation, their possible solutions, and their use as an instrument in the integral development of society. The Mexico Declaration must be a joint pledge by the countries attending to take local steps to solve universal problems at the technical and social levels. Furthermore, we believe that it will be a guide for forestry professionals in their future activities.
Unasylva: The theme of the first plenary session of the Congress is "forestry activities and their role in development - in temperate forests, tropical forests and arid zones". What role has forestry played in development in Mexico? Do you anticipate that it will play a greater role in the future - possibly, in part, as a result of the Congress?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: Although Mexico is a country with a substantial forestry profession, forestry activities until now have not been a vital factor in our development process. They contribute barely 1.2 percent to the nation's GNP, which means their potential is far above their present level of realization: The present administration has clearly seen the possibilities of forest resources and has included them as a priority item in the government programmer. The World Forestry Congress will greatly contribute to the diffusion and the dynamics of these activities. We intend to break out from the stagnation in forestry production of the past six years and consolidate a sustained growth in the future.
Unasylva: Primarily because falling world oil prices have drastically reduced Mexico's foreign-exchange earnings, Mexico has had to borrow large amounts of money and is now in the midst of a debt crisis. This fact is well known. What is perhaps not well known is how this debt crisis has affected Mexico's forestry programmes. Have there been cut-backs? If so, when can activities that have had to be reduced in scope or eliminated be restored? Can any expansion of forestry-activities be anticipated in the near future, or must expansion wait until the debt crisis is resolved?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: Our country is going through one of the greatest economic crises of the past few years, and the national economy has undoubtedly suffered a severe recession. This has inexorably affected forestry activities: the slowdown in the growth of the construction and furniture industries, the rise in the price of intermediate goods and foreign capital, the scarcity and high cost of financing - these have been some of the factors that have slowed down demand on the one hand and the production of forest products on the other. However, not everything is negative in this crisis. The new exchange rate has enabled us to make inroads into the markets across the northern border of our country and in international markets, thus increasing our forestry exports by 271 percent between 1982 and 1983.
All this increased primary forest production's share of GNP by 0.5 percent in 1982. This figure, though small, is significant, since overall economic activity decreased by 4.6 percent.
Unasylva: Could you briefly describe the principal activities of Mexico's forestry programme at present?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: At present, Mexico is implementing its National Programme for Temperate and Broad-Leaved Forests, a product of the National Development Plan. The premises of this programme acknowledge the following facts: a great need for assistance in the social organization of production; six years with no expansion in the production of merchantable wood; an increase in imports, especially cellulose; an inadequate and insufficient road infrastructure; a tack of industrial integration; limited exploitation of tropical inputs and woods; an insufficient cultivation of forests and plantations; and a period of 24 years since any change in forest law. The programme also acknowledges that, unless immediate steps are taken, by 1990 we will be importing US$1000 million worth of forest products, the problems of inequality and social unrest will intensify, and environmental deterioration will continue.
The main purpose of the programme is to involve landlords and owners in forestry protection and production, to exploit forest resources intensively, to protect the environment and to reduce the deficit in the balance of trade.
Unasylva: Mexico's forest resources cover more than 1.4 million km2. About 48 percent of this is arid-zone vegetation, 19 percent is temperate forest, 9 percent is tropical forest, and 24 percent is classified as "other". Which of these regions is currently receiving the most emphasis - or are they all receiving equal emphasis? Will there be any changes in emphasis in the future?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: The temperate wood regions have been emphasized most, because of their present contribution to goods and services, their infrastructure and their unexploited potential. In accordance with the priority established for forestry policy within the National Development Plan, the attention paid to areas of broad-leaved forest and to arid zones has increased. A pilot programme is taking place to exploit the broad-leaved forests of Quintana Roo. Another deals with the integrated exploitation of arid-zone resources in the Chihuahua desert.
Unasylva: Mexico currently imports more than three times as many wood products as it exports, and its imports of non-wood forest products are more than double its exports. Is this situation considered acceptable, or will efforts be made to increase exports in relation to imports?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: In no way is it considered acceptable. I would instead say that it has become a cause for concern in our country. It seems paradoxical that in spite of having this previously mentioned forestry potential, we cannot even satisfy internal demand. It is important to point out that 85 percent of forestry imports consist of pulp and paper, cardboard scraps, machine made paper and cardboard, and the rest falls under carved wood, logs, railway sleepers, panels and some non-merchantable products such as resin, rubber and latex.
To meet this concern, Mexico is setting up import-rationalization programmes through the Regulating
Committee for Forest Product Imports in the Northwest Border Zones, which was created for that purpose. Exports are handled by the Productivity and Quality Control Committee of the National Forestry Industry, also created recently, in which both the Government and private industry participate, in addition, the pulp and paper programme - at present the most important - is being promoted. Its scope is to reach self-sufficiency in cellulose by installing between six and eight modular plants adapted to Mexico's resources and conditions. This project will be supported by an economic package that includes tariff adjustments, fiscal policy stimulation and financing for forestry.
Unasylva: Are there any current plans for plant expansions or new construction in sawmilling, pulp and paper, or panels?
A CARTOGRAPHER IN OAXACA surveying Mexico's forest resources
Dr Pesqueira Olea: Because of the economic recession facing the Mexican economy, the main sectors requiring forest products - construction, furniture, transportation, publishing, the graphic arts - have seen a decreased rate of growth over the past few years. However, under the Economic Reorganization Programme and the Employment and Productivity Protection Programme directed by the Government, a number of actions have been planned to stimulate and reactivate investment in forest industry. As a result, three new plywood and board plants are expected to be built. Also anticipated are an expansion of the newsprint industry and the establishment of six plants for chemical and mechanical pulp for kraft paper. No new projects are planned in sawmilling, since present capacity is meeting national consumption.
Unasylva: What is the present condition of Mexico's forest resources? Are there any significant problems with fire, insects, diseases, air pollution, overcutting or shifting cultivation? What is Mexico currently doing in the area of forest conservation and rehabilitation? Is the creation of more protected zones, forest reserves or national parks being contemplated? How is the rural population being incorporated in the forestry framework?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: Like any other country with forest resources, we have serious problems with forest fires, phytosanitation and pollution. This last is particularly severe in the Valley of Mexico. Excessive tree cutting and shifting cultivation problems also exist, especially in the tropical and subtropical areas. Within the new structure of the forestry undersecretaryship, an office has been set up for the conservation of forestry resources. It will deal with the following:
· the administration and management of the country's 206 protected zones and 19 forest reserves;· the integral organization and utilization of soil in forestry areas, using watershed management criteria;
· the recovery and protection of forestry lands through vegetative and mechanical means;
· the rationalization of changes in land use in forestry areas.
In land rehabilitation, we expect to reforest 12000 ha and to recover 7560 ha of degraded land this year through Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (SARH) programmes. We intend to increase our target to 50000 ha a year with various types of reforestation.
In order to involve the rural population in forestry activities, the department is considering organizing and training peasants in every stage of forest raw-material production, up to the industrial level. We are also developing programmes to involve the rural population in work projects covering plants, nurseries, reforestation, conservation and forest soil recovery, as well as fire fighting and prevention. These programmes aim to create jobs and to make peasant organizations responsible, along with the Government, for the conservation, protection and development of property.
Unasylva: Culturally, Mexico is linked to the countries of Central and South America, but its forest resource is more similar to that of the United States particularly the southwestern states. How have these two factors affected Mexico's regional cooperation efforts? What structures, activities and programmes currently exist for regional cooperation?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: Mexico has coniferous forests as well as temperate and broad-leaved forests and arid zones. It has undertaken important activities in these three biomes, acquiring valuable experience that allows significant participation in cooperative programmes with Central and South American countries.
Unasylva: Could you briefly outline Mexico's current role in international assistance and cooperation activities in forestry?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: The ongoing cooperation with Central and South American countries in forestry activities is taking place in the areas of education, technical assistance, research, joint investments and specific commercialization agreements. Assistance and cooperation in education are structured to set up and support forestry education centres and to receive requests and offer technical assistance by means of bilateral agreements.
Unasylva: How would you evaluate the role of FAO in international forestry activities? What things should it be doing that it is not now doing?
Dr Pesqueira Olea: The technical capability of FAO is well known worldwide. It consists of a vast number of studies and projects that stimulate numerous forestry activities in many countries. The exchanges that take place through international and technical meetings, the statistical information, and specific projects or education programmes are some of the main aspects that have particularly helped Mexico.
The scope and continuity of cooperation programmes would be increased by the dissemination of FAO programmes, as well as by the coordination of specific cooperation programmes among several countries in order to develop the technical means for a better utilization of forest resources.
Unasylva: Thank you very much, Mr Secretary.
