The Consultation and these proceedings would not have been possible without the hard work of a number of institutions, individuals and the participants themselves. Full acknowledgement should be given to the organizing team of the Forest Products Division of FAO's Forestry Department, without whose facilities and considerable logistical support the Consultation would not have run as smoothly as it did. Special mention must also be made to INBAR and Sida who facilitated the preparation and the Consultation in a highly professional manner. Finally, these proceedings would never have happened without the commitment, dedication, and many long hours of hard work from the authors of the contributions and the editors. Overall guidance and coordination for the preparation, review and publication of the final document was provided by Paul Vantomme. Thanks and appreciation to them, and to the others who participated in the process.