An interview with Mr Louis Mermaz, France's Minister of Agriculture and Forests
Mr Louis Mermaz assumed his post of Minister of Agriculture and Forests in October 1990. The following exclusive interview was conducted as part of the preparations for the Tenth World Forestry Congress, to be held in Paris from 17 to 26 September 1991.
Unasylva. Minister Mermaz, what motivated France to host the Tenth World Forestry Congress?
Mermaz. The tropical forests are being depleted, the temperate forests are declining and the Mediterranean forests are burning. For their role in the protection and conservation of soil and water resources, and the maintenance of air quality, the forests have been justly described as the "heritage of humanity". All of the grave problems threatening the forests are a source of preoccupation.
At the Ninth World Forestry Congress, held in Mexico in 1985, the Government of France offered to host the Tenth World Forestry Congress. At the meeting of the FAO Council in June 1989, the international community officially awarded France the mandate to organize this Congress.
The scheduling of this Congress comes at a crucial moment. The challenges facing forestry have never raised such universal concern; international cooperation in the field of forestry has never been so necessary or so loudly solicited.
A World Congress is a forestry "happening". It is an honour for the host country. In this respect I would refer to the declaration of Mr Eduardo Pesquera, at the official opening of the Mexico Congress: "To act as host for [a World Forestry Congress] is not just a commitment. It is an opportunity to learn from the rest of the world and to share experiences and concerns in order to expand forestry information in the country and provide new dynamics for the sector."
France has extended the invitation to attend the Tenth World Forestry Congress to the governments of all countries. The task now before us is to ensure success in achieving the goal our representative at the Mexico Congress set out in his offer to host this Congress: "[to provide] a positive contribution toward the formulation of national forestry policies and, above all, an international forestry policy based on solidarity."
Unasylva. Would you highlight briefly the technical and financial resources that the Ministry of Agriculture arid Forests has mobilized to make this Congress possible?
Mermaz. When France was designated by the FAO Council as host for this World Congress, the Prime Minister created an Organizing Committee, jointly administered by two senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Committee liaises with the Department of Rural Lands and Forest in my Ministry, and works in direct collaboration with the FAO Forestry Department.
I am confident that the Government of France and FAO will be fully mobilized in support of this exceptional event; and will demonstrate their savoir faire and experience in facilitating a dialogue with their colleagues from other countries, and in making their stay in Paris as productive and enjoyable as possible.
In terms of financial support a budget of FF 25 million (US$ 7.5 million) has been established; in addition to the Ministries of Agriculture and Forests and Foreign Affairs, other contributors to this budget include the Ministries of Cooperation, Environment, Industry, Land-Use Management and Research.
One financial issue concerns us: how to facilitate the participation at the Congress of university professors and students; of officials and experts from developing countries; and of members of conservation organizations who do not have the necessary finances at their disposal. I have high hopes that the international community will help to fill this gap; a number of generous proposals have already been advanced.
Unasylva. The theme of the Congress is "Forests, a heritage for the future". Why was that theme chosen?
Mermaz. Forests are characterized by their slow growth and the difficulty in their re-establishment once they have been degraded or destroyed. They are a patrimony bequeathed to us by generations past, often long past. Yet this patrimony does not belong to us. We have the advantage of having inherited it, but we also have the obligation to transmit it to the generations yet to come.
Unfortunately, we live in societies and economies where short-sightedness reigns; where everything is accelerated, including the many-faceted threats to forest resources worldwide. The forests are an economic, ecological and social heritage. We will have an ever-increasing need for wood, for wooded areas, for nature reserves. The theme of this Congress allows us to examine all of the uses to which the forests are put, and the challenges that these uses pose throughout the world. The key obligation of our generation is to ensure the perennial nature of this heritage with adequate investment and prudent management; and to commit ourselves to the maximum to the transmission of these resources to future generations, if possible in an improved and increased condition.
Unasylva. Will interest in this event be confined to the forestry sector, or do you expect popular participation? What efforts are being made to promote the World Forestry Congress, and to what audience?
Mermaz. Certainly, a World Forestry Congress directs itself to, as a primary audience, the professions related to the management and use of forest resources, from those involved in reforestation to those in forest industries, including all aspects of management of forest lands, whether public or private.
On the other hand, it is my hope that this gathering will not only attract technicians, researchers and professionals involved in forest management, but rather that it will open itself to the broadest possible cross-section of users of forest resources, including, for example, the non-governmental organizations that are committed to the conservation of the forest heritage. All those who have a message to deliver, an idea to share, a project to present should be given the opportunity to make themselves heard.
Two keys to the successful organization of a World Congress are to ensure that the appropriate information is adequately disseminated, and to provide a forum for the opinions of everyone. To ensure this, the Organizing Committee has established a focal point in every country. Furthermore, an appeal for voluntary contributions has been launched in all countries so that all those who so wish may express themselves and contribute to the formulation of the Congress recommendations.
Unasylva. It is a quarter of a century since a World Forestry Congress was held in Europe. What are the major differences in the challenges facing European forestry today and in 1966 when the Congress was held in Madrid?
Mermaz. Twenty-five years ago, the forests were the exclusive concern of foresters and direct users of wood. Their task was to manage and utilize forest resources for the maximum economic gain.
The French programme of reforestation, established after the Second World War with the assistance of the Fonds forestier national, had the scope of reducing the gap between supply and demand of wood-based forest products. In fact, the Madrid Congress had for its theme "The contribution of silviculture to the economy of a growing world".
The Buenos Aires Congress took up the social role of the forests ("The forest and socio-economic development"), as did those held in Jakarta ("Forests for people") and Mexico City ("Forest resources in the integral development of society"). These gatherings focused on the totality of the functions of the forest, and the diversity of services that they render to society.
The Paris Congress will need to focus on the protection and conservation of this heritage, not by putting it under lock and key as if it were in a museum, but by increasing its economic and social value with the necessary attention to ensuring its perpetuity.
Unasylva. In 1986, the President of France convened the Silva Conference, the first meeting at which heads of state met specifically and exclusively to discuss forestry What have been the impacts of the Silva Conference on forestry in France and the other countries that participated?
Mermaz. At the conclusion of the Silva Conference, the President of France was able to declare: "Our collective consciousness has been raised and we are ready to act in unison to conserve one of the most important heritages of humanity. Two important resolutions have been adopted. Let us not lose time in putting them into practice."
In France, the Silva Conference had very concrete impacts: significant increases in the financial resources available for technical cooperation in forestry with developing countries; the creation of the department of forest health; the evolution of forestry research toward Eurosilva; and the meeting in Nancy of the association of forest engineers.
Without doubt, the Silva Conference also made a contribution to the widespread movement of awareness-raising among governments and of public opinion throughout the world to the challenges facing forests and forestry. Since the Silva Conference, the number of discussions, seminars, and international meetings focusing on the theme of forestry has multiplied.
Unasylva. Certainly, one of the major challenges to European forestry overall is the threat of forest decline due to atmospheric pollution. How is France attempting to cope with this problem? In terms of international cooperation?
Mermaz. After an examination of the state of forest resources in eastern France in the autumn of 1983, the first research efforts focusing on this complex phenomenon were financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests in 1984. Priority was given to two scientific disciplines: soil science; and dendro-ecology. Later, these efforts were integrated into the inter-ministerial programme DEFORPA (Defence of forests against atmospheric pollution), currently supervised by a forester from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. As of today, the foliage of some 42000 trees is being systematically monitored.
A special working relationship has been established with the German forest research institute at Baden-Württemberg, in addition to contact with the parallel programmes developed by the other member countries of the European Community, Switzerland, the United States and Canada. The Commission of the European Communities has played a particularly active role in the coordination and financing of this research. Furthermore, France is a partner in the work of the Committee of National Coordinators of Research on Acidification (MARC) and in the working groups organized under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Europe.
After five years of research, the French programme, notwithstanding its modest dimensions in comparison with those of some of the others of Europe and North America, is in the process of scientific evaluation. The results obtained will make a concrete contribution to the overall conclusions drawn by the international programme on the observation and evaluation of the effects of air pollution on forests, established within the context of the Geneva Convention of 1979.
Currently my Ministry is focusing on three priorities:
· continuing the experiments into the restoration of fertility of degraded forest soils;· launching a long-term national programme on forest ecosystems, in concert with the recommendations of that Geneva Convention;
· defining the concerns that merit further consideration by the DEFORPA research programme, in collaboration with our colleagues in the Ministries of Environment and Research.
In some cases atmospheric pollution plays an individual role in the degradation of forest resources, but more often it works in a synergetic manner with other environmental factors. Therefore, it is not enough to identify the sickness and eliminate its symptoms; it is necessary, at the same time, to attack the root causes.
This is the essence of the efforts of the French Government in this field. In the programme aimed at control of acid rain adopted in 1984 and 1985, we committed ourselves to a reduction of 50 percent in SO2 emissions between 1980 and 1990 (an objective we have reached), and a reduction of 30 percent in hydrocarbon and solvent emissions between 1985 and 2000. Within the framework of the numerous international negotiations currently under way, France has endorsed the Sofia declaration, aimed at reducing nitrous oxide emissions by 30 percent. We also preside over the working group charged with the elaboration of the future protocol covering the reduction of volatile organic emissions. Furthermore, supplemental national measures are being developed to strengthen the fight to reduce atmospheric pollution caused by specific industries.
Unasylva. If pollution is a problem that, at least for the moment, primarily is affecting the industrialized countries, fire is the great leveller, causing untold damage to forests in both developing and developed nations. Would you share some of France's forest fire prevention and control philosophy with the readers of Unasylva?
Mermaz. As in many other countries, the forests of France are exposed to the ravages of fire, particularly in the Mediterranean zone. These forests are especially prone to fire in that they are relatively less productive from an economic point of view and are therefore poorly maintained and often invaded by inflammable woody undergrowth.
However, we must not be fatalistic about forest fires; the two catastrophic seasons that we have just experienced should be an incentive to redouble our efforts to control forest fires, and above all to prevent them.
Our philosophy is, in fact, based on prevention. A forest fire that is not controlled in the first moments following its outbreak degenerates rapidly into a catastrophe which the available means of control cannot hope to circumscribe if the prevailing atmospheric conditions or accessibility situation are not particularly favourable.
Forest fire control end prevention is an Important part of French forest management efforts
In France the control of forest fire is the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, while prevention comes under my Ministry. Having said this, however, I would stress that the decentralization of these state services through the local administrations is the key to their effectiveness. In particular, the Communal Committees for the Protection of Forests that were created in 1984 - joining municipal officials, landowners, local people, foresters and fire fighters - coordinate the concrete efforts of prevention and control at the local level in risk-prone areas.
The measures and methods used are extremely varied, and it is not possible to treat them in detail in the context of this interview. However, the Revue forestière française is in the process of preparing a special issue on "Forest lands and fire", and I have asked that copies be made available to Congress participants.
I am convinced that the amelioration of forest fire prevention efforts also depends on the improvement of specific techniques. The role of research is essential, particularly in the area of reconstitution of fire-damaged areas: resistant species, reforestation techniques, etc.
Unasylva. France has by far the largest share of forest land in the European Community. What are the implications of this in terms of the development of forest industries in France? In Europe as a whole?
Mermaz. France possesses more than one-fourth of the total forested area of the Twelve. With 35 million m³ of wood harvested and marketed each year, France is also on the top rung for wood production in the Community. However, this figure remains inferior to the potential yield of the forest. We have, therefore, real potential of future development for wood-based industries.
Even though we are the only European country with net exports of roundwood, our commercial deficit for processed products remains high, as it does for our neighbours.
The central position held by France and the importance of her future forestry potential have led numerous international industrial groups to make substantial investments in France, in order to ensure themselves a strong position in the unified European market that will be formed in 1993.
Thus the production capabilities of pulp and paper and wood-based panel industries must be increased by some 50 percept between 1989 and 1994. This vast move toward increased investment will also affect the sawmilling sector, as an essential element for the rest of forest industry. In this way, our external deficit in terms of coniferous sawnwood will be progressively reduced, allowing France to become once more an exporter of panels.
With the trump card of increasing forest resources, French forest industries are more than ready to provide their share of wood-based products to the EEC, which remains, lest we forget, the number one import market.
Unasylva. In France, and in several other European countries, efforts are being developed to reforest abandoned agricultural lands. Would you describe tile French approach?
A significant portion of French forests are owned by smallholders
Mermaz. As a result of the excessive agricultural production, within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy, the EC has suggested the reduction of land dedicated to agricultural production.
In a Community extremely deficient in wood, it is certain that afforestation would be an excellent use of the land thus made available, and France has adopted such a policy with a concern to ensure a good balance between forestry and agricultural activities.
This policy of reforestation had a double objective:
· to group these reforested areas to avoid the fragmentation of agricultural lands and to facilitate the future exploitation of the forested areas, through the establishment of forestry groups or associations;· to ensure, through the creation of afforestation rules and procedures, that the newly created forestry plantations do not create problems for their agricultural neighbours.
It is noteworthy that afforestation of abandoned agricultural land is not a recent development in France. After the Second World War, France undertook an ambitious policy of reforestation on more than 2 million hectares, over one-third of which was abandoned agricultural land.
Unasylva. A significant portion of French forests are owned by smallholders. What mechanisms are used to stimulate these landowners to implement sound forest production and management practices? (For example, the Fonds forestier national.) Do some of these mechanisms have potential applications for forestry in developing countries?
Mermaz. The fragmentation of the privately held forest resources is often cited as our number one problem. It is true that in France the 10 million hectares of privately held forest lands are divided among nearly 3.5 million owners.
However, it is important to examine the statistics more closely. Nearly 2 million of the smallholders, or 65 percent of the total, collectively own less than 8 percent of the total private forest area. Three-quarters of the total private forest area is controlled by 400000 owners.
The forestry law of 6 August 1963 encouraged the owners of forest lands to undertake their management. In particular, the law provided for the creation of a series of regional centres for forest landowners; these centres set production goals on a regional basis. They approve the management plans that are developed for the more important forest areas; they facilitate the creation of collaborative agreements; and they ensure the motivation, instruction and information of the smallholders.
Furthermore, public administrations lend their financial support to the creation of organizations for collective management, harvesting and sale. One of the standards by which the success of these policies may be judged is the volume of wood commercialized by cooperatives and service organizations: volume grew from 500000 m³ in 1971, to 2000000 m, in 1980 and has reached 4000000 m³ today.
Private ownership of forests is less significant in developing countries. But the participation of local populations in the protection and sustainable utilization of their neighbouring forest resources should be actively encouraged. Agroforestry is one method, the creation of community or village woodlots is another. It behoves us to encourage private forestry initiatives, in all of their forms, with both financial assistance and extension and training.
Unasylva. How has the institutional framework for forestry evolved in Europe? In what respect has decentralization modified the work of forestry, institutions in France? In other European countries?
Mermaz. Most European countries have now regionalized and decentralized their institutions. In France, this regionalization has been accompanied by an important effort to decentralize central government authority to local administrations (at regional, departmental and community level).
However, responsibility for forest policy has not been regionalized and remains a state responsibility, specifically in my Ministry within the Department of Rural Land and Forest. Implementation is carried out at regional and departmental level by the forest services of the corresponding divisions of agriculture and forestry.
Nonetheless, national forest policy is modified and sharpened locally in order to be consonant with regional production policies put in place as part of the contractual agreements between the state and the local collectives.
Furthermore, a number of forestry responsibilities are entrusted by the state to parastatal organizations: the National Forest Organization (ONF) for the management of state forests and the application of protection policies for forests belonging to public administrations, particularly the Communes; and the regional centres for forest estates (CRFP) for the improved management, grouping and extension support of private forestry.
Unasylva. Thank you, Minister.
