Trade and sustainable forest management: impact and interactions

In 2001, the Government of Japan and FAO agreed to implement the research and analysis project entitled "Impact Assessment of Forest Products Trade in the Promotion of Sustainable Forest Management" (GCP/INT/775/JPN) which was carried out in close cooperation with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) in Yokohama, Japan. The German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in Germany also contributed financially.

The project enabled the FAO Forest Products and Economics Division (FOP) to undertake a broad analysis of the impact and interactions between trade in forest products and services and forest management.

The analytic process engaged international organizations, the private sector and the civil society. The project formed part of the regular FAO work on trends in trade of forest products and services. It extended and complemented previous analysis by adding important issues to the debate such as governance interactions and forest-related policies. The project aimed to provide information, analysis and a platform for informal debate in order to assist governmental institutions, international organizations, the private sector and civil society groups such as non-governmental organizations in the elaboration of trade policies that encourage sustainable forest management.

FAO convened two international meetings, one involving the forestry community and another round table discussion involving trade policy makers and the "trade and environment community" in close cooperation with the UNECE Trade Development and Timber Division in Geneva, Switzerland.

The analytic materials posted on this section of the Web site include:

    • a synthesis of the overall analysis;

    • the main analytic document of the project ;

    • the proceedings of the two international meetings.

For analytic papers and other contributions, please refer to the next section of this Web site.

last updated: Monday, October 23, 2006