GLOBAL LEGAL AND SUSTAINABLE TIMBER FORUM 2023
President Françoise Van de Ven leads ATIBT, promoting sustainable and legal tropical timber trade for socio-economic development. Learn about the diversity of ATIBT members, committees, and the impact of deforestation on the timber industry.
Uploaded on Mar 07, 2025 | 0 Views
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
GLOBAL LEGAL AND SUSTAINABLE TIMBER FORUM 2023 TIMBER INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT DEFORESTATION Fran oise VAN DE VEN, President ATIBT INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSOCIATION OF TROPICAL TIMBER www. atibt.org francoise.vandeven@atibt.org
ATIBT - THE REFERENCE IN TROPICAL TIMBER ATIBT promotes a sustainable, ethical and legal trade in tropical timber as a natural and renewable raw material. This activity is essential for the socio- economic development of producing countries, and it is for consumer countries a valuable source of raw materials for multiple industrial uses. Founded in 1951 founders Office of Foreign Trade and FAO Our team of 16 people is made up of permanent staff and experts who work on projects ATIBT provides professionals and the general public technical and commercial information on all major issues related to the tropical timber environment, such as 1. the promotion of legality 2. sustainable forest management 3. the improvement of industrial methods of wood processing the promotion of lesser-known species.
MEMBERS DIVERSITY Our technical expertise and the plurality of skills are reinforced by the diversity of ATIBT members: companies from the private sector of forestry, industry and trade o international and national institutions o signatory States of the ATIBT Convention o research institutes o trade unions/federations o suppliers of equipment o transit, transport and services related to the profession. o
ATIBT COMMITTEES, TASK FORCES, WORKING GROUPS and SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL Marketing commission : (FAIR&PRECIOUS umbrella brand covering FSC of PEFC certified producers Certification commission: development and participation in standards of FSC and PEFC, FSC IFL, RDUE (EU regulation Deforestation). Forest & Industry commission : sustainable forest management, technical matters on sustainable forest management Training/formation commission : Projects on training and capacity building Timber material normalization commission : Developing standards, technical issues on tropical timber, lifecycle projects, contract rules) Agroforestry/plantation commission : development of projects (agroforestry, re- afforestation) Carbon & Biodiversity Commission : carbon/biodiversity credit markets Scientific Council (North/South) : critical scientific opinion on ATIBT s activities
DEFORESTATION : DEFINITION WOOD IS A NATURAL RESSOURCE BUT COMPARED TO OTHER COMMODITIES IT IS ALSO RENEWABLE Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest-use : agricultural live-stock ranches Urbanization mining operations and the wood industry (logging) The effects of climate change are another cause via the increased risk of wildfires Deforestation seems to occur more in tropical forests
RDUE EU REGULATION ON DEFORESTATION Still working on the implementation (traceability, benchmark classification of countries, declaration system, etc. Certification (FSC and PEFC) will not be a green lane but certified companies will comply with most of the requirements of the regulation
NEW EU REGULATION ON DEFORESTATION . is the timber sector ready ? More than 20 years ago the first requirements by law, for forest companies, actif in the Congo Basin, were Forest Management Plans guaranteeing sustainability and a logging capacity often linked to an industrial investment The criteria of the SFM plans increased considerably when certification (FSC and PEFC) developed their standards, which are reviewed periodically included more criteria on sustainability, environmental aspects, social intern/extern obligations, inventories and follow up of wildlife, anti-poaching methods, traceability of the timber and improved technics on logging and skidding methods and lately also criteria on CO2 emissions and carbon sequestration Increased capacity building programs for RIL (Reduced Impact Logging) and a less impact skidding operation and skidding tracks/roads in the forest concession/permits one question comes to mind : is a forest company still to be considered as a harvester of the forest or should one consider more that he is a Manager of the forest or a Nature s operator
SPECIES ON ANNEXE II CITES FOR THE EUROPEAN MARKET Whilst EU countries have signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Convention of Washington better known as CITES, the EU has added additional criteria and obligations to obtain the importing permit Extra criteria on regeneration are put in place by some countries in a unilateral way, not taking into consideration the producing countries legislation In some countries, it can take up to 5 or 6 months to obtain the importing permit, causing the initially obtained export permit to become void, also because their local CITES administration is understaffed. Is adding more species on the ANNEX II list not result in a discouragement by exporters and importers. Did we guarantee the future of the forest, or will it be affected to other uses ?
AT THE END WHICH VALUE FOR THE TROPICAL FORESTS If forests cannot be sustainably managed and exploited, what will be at the end the value of these forests ? Although proven that the timber sector has a huge potential for job creation, and that new industrial technics lessen the impact on logging and increase the yield when timber is transformed, there is still a big gap on funding sustainable forest management, as declared by Dr MOHAMMED NURUDEEN IDRISSU, Chair of the ITTO at the opening of the 59th Council Session in Thailand last week. The demand for timber for house building will increase considerably, as it is considered an eco-friendly construction material (continued carbon sequestration and many other qualities)
CONCLUSION International regulation all have the goal to maintain the forest particularly in the context of climate change These regulations (EUDR, CITES) are also a way to put an end on illegal logging and commerce of timber, but also discourage the trade in tropical timber by creating unilateral rules with immediate effect whilst logging/transformation has already taken place There is an urgent need to give a value to the forest, whether it is for sustainable management, conservation or community forests, without a value the forest will be destined for other uses . ATIBT is open to collaborate with all parties concerned by the forest to find solutions so that tropical forests will get the recognition they deserve
Thank You for your attention ! Wood plays a very important role in Wood plays a very important role in the daily life of each and every one the daily life of each and every one of us on this earth of us on this earth! ! francoise.vandeven@atibt.org Renewable commodity Renewable commodity www.atibt.org Carbon sequestration Carbon sequestration www.fair-and-precious.org Let's use certified wood Let's use certified wood www.linkedin.com/company/14826454 Wood is good ! Use it or loose it !!! www.instagram.com/fairandprecious/
