FSC Stories from around the world
Working Together to Save Tropical Forests
Protecting Bolivia’s tropical forests is like cooking a communal meal. The recipe includes high proportions
of participation, high levels of commitment, plenty of creativity and the responsibility to find
solutions together.
While forest protection is still a work in progress, Bolivia is, today, the leader in responsible management
of tropical forests. A remarkable two million hectares have been brought under FSC certification, protecting
important areas of the Amazon basin. But as impressive as the figures are, the effort to save tropical
forests cannot be measured in certified area alone – the impact of the move to FSC certification is profound
and far-reaching.
”Through FSC, the forest- sector has secured a better political and economic place in Bolivia, increasing
the confidence of society in responsible forest management and related operations”, says Lincoln
Quevedo, member of the FSC Board of Directors.
The Bolivian forest sector faced many difficulties associated with the economic and social issues of the
country. Deforestation due to shifting cultivation and agro-industry was another threat to forest ecosystems.
The absence of sustainable forest management was the rule. High-grading was a common practice
for forest operations that concentrated on only a few valuable species. Although forest management was
clearly defined and prescribed in the former Forestry Law, sustainable management plans were not
implemented under the former regime. Not surprisingly, loggers were blamed for all forest destruction and
were held in very low esteem by the public.
Since 1994, work to change this scenario has moved forward on multiple fronts sharing a common
denominator: FSC that offered stakeholders a platform for dialogue toward finding solutions. It also provided
a framework of credible international standards to make responsible forest management possible.
< Back
Back to top
|
