Ce Code modèle régional d'exploitation forestière à faible impact est tout d'abord destiné à servir de document de référence aux pays d'Afrique tropicale qui appliquent ou tentent de mettre en oeuvre une gestion durable de leurs forêts denses humides.

The FAO model code of forest harvesting practice is intended primarily to promote harvesting practices that will improve standards of utilization, reduce environmental impacts, help ensure that forests are sustained for future generations and improve the economic and social contributions of forestry as a component of sustainable development.

These codes of forest practice provide sets of regulations and guidelines in forest operations and engineering, and are designed to help foresters in government agencies and forest enterprises select practices to be followed in carrying out forest management and utilisation operations.

Voluntary planted forest guidelines bring together principles that apply to planted forests grown to fulfill productive functions for provision of wood, fibre and non-wood forest products or protective functions for provision of environmental and/or social services. They cover all aspects of planted forests, from policy development and planning, through technical considerations of plantation management and supply chain links to marketing, industry and trade. These guidelines are non-legally binding in nature and were developed to link international, national and local enabling environments. They have been tailored for policy, planning and management decision makers in the Government, private sector or non-governmental organizations to balance the social, cultural, environmental and economic dimensions of planted forest management and to increase their contributions towards sustainable livelihoods and land use.

These guidelines present a logical and workable framework and set of procedures that allow for an economic appraisal of watershed management practices within a project.

This guide has been developed for forest practioners and managers. It provides general principles for forest road engineering in particular on mountainous parts of the world.

This guide has been scheduled for production at the end of 2006, it will only focus to Europe and North America.