Forests support a variety of activities that lead to economic development, but sustainability requires better governance, regulation and institutional frameworks, explained Peru’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, who is hosting the APEC Ministers Responsible for Forestry Meeting in Cusco, Peru.
This forum allows ministers to better shape the APEC’s region’s policies based on members’ lessons and challenges, with contributions from the Asia Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation.
Minister Milton von Hesse La Serna described the meeting of the region’s diverse members as a unique opportunity to learn from each other and promote decisions that improve sustainable forest management in the region.
“We realize the importance of APEC to analyse different points of view by which sustainable forest management can be achieved,” said Minister von Hesse La Serna, who chaired the meeting. ”There are some economies that have to manage tropical forests such as Peru, others that depend on forest plantations for their forest industry, and some of the world’s biggest traders of forest products and services.”
“The large set of benefits, products and services that we all take care of, underlines the need to have a solid institutional framework, suitable laws, and well-skilled professionals, which can support not only economic activities, but also the forest as a welfare source in every way.”
Forests provide a large set of products and services. The sector represents a significant portion of the region’s GDP and contributes to its exports, but challenges remain for member economies to address.
“We are facing threats such as climate change, shifting cultivation, social conflicts, poverty, illegal logging and mining, among others,” continued Minister von Hesse La Serna.
Ministers are addressing these important issues because the APEC region produces 60 percent of global forest products, and accounts for 80 percent of global trade in forest products. Annual APEC forest products trade has been valued at over US$150 billion.
Recognizing that forests make up a key component in the path to sustainable development, ministers are exploring the importance of governance and its effects on economies with large extensions of forests.
“Enhancing governance is the means to reach sustainable forest management and is the way to maximize value from forests,” said Minister von Hesse La Serna. “This value can be achieved through a whole set of activities, ranging from the well-known extractive activities to the stabilization of worldwide climate.”
Giang Tu
Vietnamese
