by the Secretariat
Members and advisers of the Committee presented a number of recommendations for consideration in the activities of the FAO Forestry Department. A summary on the status of implementation of the recommendations in the course of the last twelve months is given below. [ As reported in the ACPWP proceedings of the last meeting on page 10.]
Validate data in the Global Fibre Supply Study in regional
workshops, particularly for areas where the information is either
very poor or controversial
Data validation workshops were held in Malaysia, Brazil and Ghana, as well as a meeting in United States.
The workshop in Malaysia took place in Kuala Lumpur on 27 and 28 October 1997. Some 30 participants attended it from seven Asian countries. The industry sector was represented by the Malaysian Timber Council and the Malaysian Timber Industry Board. The meeting was organized in closed collaboration with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia.
In Brazil, the workshop was held in São Paulo from 17 to 19 November 1997 and attended by 42 participants from five countries. The meeting was organized in cooperation with the Forestry Foundation of São Paulo and the Forestry Institute of São Paulo. Logistic support was provided by BRACELPA (Brazilian Association for Pulp and Paper), SBS (Brazilian Silviculture Society) and CPPA (Canadian Pulp and Paper Association). There was strong participation from the forest industry sector, including BRACELPA, SBS, AIMEX (State of Para Industry Association of Wood Exporters) and ABRACABE (Brazilian Association of Renewable Forests).
The last regional workshop took place in Accra, Ghana, from 25 to 28 November 1997, and was attended by 20 participants from 11 African countries. The forest industry was represented by the Ghana Timber Millers Organization and the African Timber Organization.
In all regional workshops, participants provided very useful comments on the data presented, as well as on the policy implications related to future fibre supply in the respective countries. Meeting participants were generally in agreement with the baseline data and the futures presented, although specific comments were made with regard to the inaccuracy of some GFSS data. However, difficulties were encountered in collecting additional primary information from sound sources to correct the data. There was clear appreciation of the opportunity provided by FAO for dialogue on country data, which proved to be much more useful than just filling up questionnaires and then receiving a copy of the final document. The structure of the database and its dynamic links were considered useful tools and the participants expressed the wish to introduce them in their forest statistics work.
An additional meeting to discuss current forest products supply and demand modelling efforts was held at the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), Madison, from 20 to 22 January 1998, with the participation of representatives from the Canadian Forest Service, the US Forest Service, FPL and FAO.
The discussion on the GFSS concentrated mainly on two areas: how forest area information is handled in the model; and how the forecasts of future wood availability should be calculated and interpreted.
It was agreed that the GFSS database was a very user-friendly way of storing, retrieving and manipulating forest area statistics and that the data set contained within the GFSS was a very useful piece of information. One concern, which was raised though, was how reliable the process of splitting forest areas into productive and non-productive forest had been. In the light of the presentation, the participants from Canada and the United States indicated that they would like to revisit and probably revise the figures they had previously supplied for inclusion in the GFSS database.
The discussion of future wood availability raised most concerns. Several participants questioned whether the modelling approach used in the GFSS was applicable to temperate and boreal forest zones, where forest management and harvesting regimes are very different to those used in the tropics. Participants noted that the exclusion of non-forest supply sources gives only a partial picture of future wood supply potential and some expressed concern that the current presentation of the wood supply outlook shows production from undisturbed natural forest declining to zero. It was suggested that this might be misinterpreted to imply that the total area of undisturbed natural forest is expected to decline to zero.
The issue of political sensitivity was also raised and it was pointed out that supply forecasts for the ECE region have just recently been produced as part of the Fifth European Timber Trends Study (ETTS V) and North American Timber Trends Study (NATTS). These have been produced with the participation and agreement of ECE member governments. It was suggested that these countries might be a little surprised to find FAO presenting another set of forecasts of wood availability so soon after and with little or no consultation.
A final point, which was raised in the discussion, was how could the forecasts of potential availability be most usefully interpreted. Because the model produces three forecasts of future availability, there was a discussion on whether these results could be used to derive some sort of supply elasticity. However, it was pointed out that the different forecasts are largely based on different assumptions about technical factors rather than timber prices, so it was felt that this would be unlikely. There was also a discussion on how the supply estimates could be "netted-down" from estimates of maximum potential supply to likely or actual supply, but no consensus was reached as to the feasibility or desirability of doing this. It was agreed however that, because the numbers presented in the GFSS are for many countries so much higher than current production levels, great care should be taken in presenting these results.
Make efforts to continuously involve the ACPWP in the
implementation of the FAO Global and Regional Forestry Sector Outlook
Studies
Informal discussions have taken place with forest industry representatives, exploring practical ways for a cooperation in the implementation of global and regional forestry sector outlook studies. It is worth mentioning that the "Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study" has been completed recently as a draft document and presented to the seventeenth session of the Asia Pacific Forestry Commission in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 23-27 February 1998.
A proposal was made during the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission, held in Dakar, Senegal, from 14 to 17 April 1998, to initiate the next regional forestry outlook study.
In tandem with the production of more wide-ranging regional outlook studies, a revision to the Provisional Global Forest Products Outlook Study (which will concentrate mainly on wood products supply and demand) is also under way and is expected to be completed during this year.
For more information please contact: Mr Michael Martin, Chief Forestry Planning and Statistics Branch (FONS)
Continue publishing "Projected Pulp and Paper Mills in the
World" and "Recovered Paper Data"
The responsible unit to prepare the above publications has committed most of its financial and personnel resources to the implementation of the GFSS. Efforts to continue the publication on Recovered Paper Data have been initiated, while Projected Pulp and Paper Mills in the World has been discontinued temporarily due to lack of funds.
Promote forest inventory projects
FAO continues work on stimulating forest inventories/assessments through its Global Forest Resources Assessment Programme (FRA).
Its task is to provide the world community with reliable information on the situation of the worldís forests and related resources and how they change over time. To carry out this task, the FAOís Forest Resources Assessment Programme supports capacity building by providing technical assistance to developing countries in the conduct of national forestry assessments; coordinates forest resources assessments for both developing and industrialized countries; and produces global forest resources assessment databases and periodic reports.
Recent related activities that address element No. 1 of the FRA mission "Capacity Building in Developing Countries for the Conduct of National Assessments" include development of plans and implementation of the inventory of two districts in Andra Pradesh in cooperation with local professionals; assistance to the World Bank in a needs and feasibility assessment for a forest inventory in India; needs analysis for assistance to the Government of Mexico to conduct planning for a new national forest inventory (including investigation of twinning arrangements with two industrialized countries to execute); needs analysis for assistance to Tanzania and Uganda for the conduct of new inventories; technical support to FAO field programmes in forest inventory including China; meeting with The World Bank (Jan. 1998) in Washington to establish priorities for cooperation in the identification and description of forest inventory/assessment needs in developing countries to stimulate project funding; recent funding (Jan. 1998) through Sida/Sweden for needs assessments to help stimulate forest inventories and assessments for developing countries and to develop a strategic plan for forest resources assessment capacity building in developing countries through the year 2010, as well as an international forum to address this issue.
For more information please contact: Ms Christel Palmberg-Lerche, Chief Forest Resources Development Service (FORM)
Assist developing countries in forest plantation
establishment and in improved wood utilization
A private sector forestry plantations development project has been proposed for Ghana, with the support of the African Development Bank (ADB), the Government of Ghana and FAO.
The Government of Ghana (GOG) intends to develop proposals for encouraging the development of private-sector forest plantations to reduce the pressure on natural forests and to satisfy the wood raw material demand on a long-term basis. The Forestry Development Master Plan 1996-2020 gives high priority to increase the forest and tree cover through the enrichment and restocking of degraded areas and concessions, the establishment of plantations on suitable areas and support to community forestry and agroforestry. At the request of GOG and ADB, a plantation project proposal was submitted for possible ADB funding.
The main objective of this project will be to establish, over the medium term, an appropriate and self-financing institutional framework and incentive structure conducive to the development of a demand-driven forest plantations programme for both small and large-scale investors. A cautious approach will be required, but it is intended to increase progressively the annual planted area, to reach at the end of the programme (after 6 years) the establishment of at least 10 000 ha/a of private timber plantations for the whole country as targeted in the Forestry Development Master Plan.
For more information please contact: Mr André Simon, Forestry Officer, Technical Cooperation Department, Investment Centre (TCI)
Promote sustainable (responsible) forest management
practices
A publication entitled Guidelines for the Management of Tropical Forests. 1. The Production of Wood was completed earlier this year and will be available at the end of April 1998. This publication was prepared in response to a request from the twelfth session of the Committee on Forestry (13-16 March 1995) which called for a handbook on tropical forest management, aimed at providing practical advice to forest services and to the practising tropical forest manager in the field. Another twin document (Guidelines for the Management of Tropical Forests. 2), setting guidelines for the production of non-wood forest products, is under preparation.
Recognizing that the sustainable management of forests implies the provision of a range of products and services, this book focuses on the maintenance and enhancement of the productive functions of tropical forests, and deals in depth with the practical aspects of the management of tropical forests in which the main products are wood and timber.
For more information please contact: Ms Christel Palmberg-Lerche, Chief Forest Resources Development Service (FORM)
Two new publications were completed in the field of environmentally sound forest harvesting: Forest harvesting in natural forests of the Congo, 1997 and Environmentally sound forest harvesting, testing the applicability of the FAO Model Code in the Amazon in Brazil, 1997.
Both publications were elaborated in collaboration with private forest enterprises in Congo and Brazil. Additional projects have been initiated, such as a case study on "Environmentally sound forest infrastructure development in the Himalayan region in Bhutan", a case study on "Forest harvesting impacts on the Training and Model Forest (TMF) of SangThong (Laos) ñ Effects of harvesting and forest road construction on soil, residual vegetation and its dynamics and development"; a manual for the planning, design and construction of forest roads in steep terrain; and a case study on "Environmentally sound road construction in mountainous terrain, Austria". Efforts continue in demonstrating the applicability of the FAO Model Code of Forest Harvesting Practices, published in 1996.
For more information please contact: Mr Rudolf Heinrich, Chief Forest Harvesting, Trade and Marketing Branch (FOPH)
Further investigate the social aspects and economic costs of
sustainable forest management
Harvesting operation accounts as one of the major economic factors in forest management. The publication on the Environmentally sound forest harvesting, testing the applicability of the FAO Model Code in the Amazon in Brazil mentioned above is a good example of the work to investigate the economic impact of a commercial sustainable forest management operation.
Provide a forum for discussions on a baseline to protect the
environment, such as the issue on sustainable forest management and
certification
Activities of FAO on forest certification have been limited to the harmonization of the different processes of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, including the participation in the International Forum of Forest process, and analysis and dissemination of information related to certification.
FAO follows recent developments on the issue of certification through its participation in various international meetings, maintaining awareness in order to provide the necessary guidance to member countries and other interested parties. FAO has been actively involved in projects at the forest management unit level, which inevitably leads to the discussion on certification. Reference is made to an elaborated presentation on "Progress and tendencies in criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management and certification", item 8 (b) of the provisional agenda.
For more information please contact:
Mr Karl-Hermann Schmincke, Director Forest Products Division (FOP), or
Ms Christel Palmberg-Lerche, Chief Forest Resources Development Service (FORM), on issues related to criteria and indicators, or
Mr James Bourke, Senior Forestry Officer, Forest Products Division (FOPH), on issues related to forest certification.
Make special efforts for the training of marketing and trade
experts in tropical countries
A project proposal has been presented for funding to the EU: Strengthening of Forest Products Marketing Training in Africa (south of Sahara), with the objective to strengthen forest products marketing training and to create centres of excellence for provision of support services for efficient marketing of forest products in selected countries in Africa (south of Sahara).
For more information please contact: Mr Leo Lintu, Senior Forestry Officer, Forest Harvesting, Trade and Marketing Branch (FOPH)
In addition, it was recommended that the ACPWP should act as
a facilitator to the forest industry, to enable the sector to take a
more visible part in the international forestry debate
Little work has been done to follow up this recommendation. The FAO Forestry Department continues its important role in the International Forum of Forest (IFF), assisting in the preparation of the Secretary Generalís reports in different programme elements. The next meeting of IFF is scheduled to take place in Genera, Switzerland, from 24 August to 4 September 1998.
The FAO Forestry Department holds the chairmanship in the Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests (ITFF), which was originally established to support the work of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Forests and to help strengthen and streamline concerted action by international agencies. It will be continued in support of the work of the IFF. The first meeting of the ITFF following the establishment of the IFF will be held in August 1998 in Geneva.
