The amount of sustainably managed tropical forest in the world has increased by 50 per cent since 2005, according to the new report from the International Tropical Timber Organization.
Boston, Massachusetts, June 13, 2011 — The amount of sustainably managed tropical forest in the world has increased by 50 per cent since 2005, according to the new report from the International Tropical Timber Organization.
The news has been welcomed by Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA), which advocates alternative and ethical investments, such as those into sustainable forestry plantations in developing nations.
It is these plantations, along with UN legislation changes preventing deforestation, and the growing demand from emerging economies for certified tropical hardwood, that has resulted in the impressive increase in sustainably managed forests.
“This report is just the news the industry needs to demonstrate the impact that measures to reduce deforestation are having,” stated AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson. The figures are encouraging, explained AAA. They show that between 2005 and 2010, the amount of sustainably managed tropical forest increased from 36 million hectares to 53 million hectares – which is an area similar in size to Thailand.
AAA advocates investment in sustainable forestry management projects, such as those run by Greenwood Management in Brazil. In fact, Brazil was among the very best performers when it came to increasing sustainable forestry, alongside Gabon, Malaysia, Guyana and Peru.
Although the figures are very encouraging, there is still much to be done to really make an impact on deforestation globally. Duncan Poore, the co-author of the report, said, “It’s a strong rise, but it’s still very small in relation to the whole,” referring to the fact that 90 per cent of the world’s tropical forests are still not managed sustainably, which puts them at risk.
He added, “There is a long, long way to go. It is a considerable improvement, brought on by the recognition of governments that [sustainable forestry] is the sensible thing to do.”
Some nations actually saw the amount of sustainably managed forest fall, due to problems like conflict and poor forest management policies. These included the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Liberia, Nigeria and Cambodia.
“It is important that these nations pass legislation to help forestry managers make money from the sustainable management of local forests and to discourage deforestation,” added Mr Johnson. He also claimed that foreign investment in managed plantations in emerging economies has significantly increased the amount of land being managed in a way that could continue to provide income for communities for generations to come.
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Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
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