FAO attends launch of project aiming to increase sustainability of the timber market
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Wednesday (12/08) attended the launch of the project "Strengthening capacities of the private sector in Mozambique's timber industry for implementation of the FLEGT Action Plan". The project will be implemented by the Mozambican Association of Timber Operators (AMOMA) in partnership with the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering at Eduardo Mondlane University (FAEF-UEM) and the non-governmental organization "Bosque y Comunidad" (ByC) within the European Union/FAO FLEGT programme. The general objective of the FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) Action Plan, which was approved by the European Commission in 2003, is to boost trade of legal timber from sustainably managed forests. Its main focus is on governance reforms and capacity building to assure that the timber that is exported to the European Union comes exclusively from legal sources.
The main objectives of the new project are to disseminate, sensitize and build capacity in order to ensure the implementation of the FLEGT Action Plan and sustainable forestry in Mozambique, in particular among the private sector. The project will also be centred on the market requisites in terms of certification and sustainable forestry management, especially among AMOMA members. This meets the local need mentioned by the Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Mozambique, Enrico Strampelli, attending the event: "It is necessary to have good forestry governance, both for the well-being of the communities and for the national economy. Illegal timber extraction and trade", Strampelli added, "generate negative social, environmental and economic impacts".
Bearing in mind the important role played by the forestry sector in Mozambique, FAO Country Representative, Castro Camarada, seized the occasion to contextualize the initiative. "It is important", he said, "that we ask ourselves why complying with the forestry legislation and a better governance of the sector are crucial". Quoting official numbers regarding forestry in Mozambique, Camarada said that "forests cover over 40 million hectares, which amount to more than 50 percent of national territory. However, according to estimates, the country has lost 4,35 million hectares between 1990 and 2010. This is about 219.000 hectares per year".
As the President of the Governing Board of AMOMA, Jorge Chacate, said at the event, "this new project is important because it aims to encourage the private operators in the country to apply sustainable practices in the sector". The potential of the timber market shall be highlighted through the project so as to generate revenues and jobs and contribute to the socio-economic development of Mozambique.