FO:LACFC/2000/2

INTRODUCTION

1. Every two years the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean organizes a meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission (LACFC), in which the member countries of FAO in the Region are invited to participate. In the meeting an analysis is made of the situation of the forests of the Region and the state of the forestry sector in the participating countries, including an evaluation of their evolution, and an exchange of experiences.

2. For the purpose of obtaining the necessary information to establish the bases for discussion, the FAO Regional Office sent a guideline to the countries of the Region, requesting updated information on the most outstanding aspects of the forestry sector and the major changes undergone in the time elapsed since the previous LACFC meeting.

3. The present document was prepared on the basis of information contained in the reports received up to the time of its drafting and supplemented with available information from other sources. For this reason this Secretariat Note must be considered as a working document to be updated and expanded following the meeting, after all the reports are received, and including the results of the discussions.

THE REGION'S FOREST RESOURCES

Natural Forests

4. According to the publication State of the World's Forests issued by FAO (1999), the forest cover in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in 1995 totalled 950 million hectares. Of these resources 91.6% are in South America, 7.9% in Central America and Mexico and only 0.5% in the Caribbean. As regards the type of forests, tropical and subtropical forests are predominant in the Region, with some 907 million hectares. The remainder corresponds to the temperate forests of Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay.

5. The forests of the Region differ greatly as to composition, growth and productivity, due to the enormous variations in climate, soil and topography present in this vast Region. This variability gives rise to tropical forests with great biological diversity as well as cold temperate forests, with one or two tree species. Examples of this are the Patagonian forests, with a wide range of intermediate situations, namely, subtropical, dry and rainy temperate forests, among others.

6. In connection with natural resources management, deforestation is one of the main problems faced by the Region. The loss of forest cover between 1990 and 1995 amounted to 29 million hectares. The highest rates of deforestation, in terms of percentage, correspond to the Caribbean sub-region. Preliminary analysis from the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 indicates that in recent years there is a tendency for the deforestation rate to decrease in the countries of the Region, indicating a positive change in relation to the 1980 - 90 decade, during which the yearly deforestation rate reached 7.68 million hectares.

7. The advance of the agricultural frontier continues to be an important cause of deforestation in some countries. The countries of the Southern Cone of South America are an exception to this as an inverse process is taking place there; in other words a re-conversion of agricultural land to forest use. In most of the tropical countries of the Region there is considerable pressure for crop land and the existence of migratory agriculture is common. Government settlement policies and the promotion of economic growth, generally do not take into account environmental consequences, and thus constitute one of the main causes of the loss of natural forests.

8. Forest fires are another important cause of forest degradation, which may contribute decisively also to subsequent deforestation. During 1998, both South America as well as Central America and Mexico, sustained devastating forest fires as a result of the drought resulting from the presence of El Niño Phenomenon. In 1998 a reported 3.3 million hectares burned in Central America and Mexico. Most of the fires (93% in Mexico) were caused by humans. The state of Roraima, in northern Brazil, was also severely affected by forest fires.

9. The Evaluation of the World's Forest Resources for the year 2000, being carried out by FAO, will make it possible to update existing figures on the Region's forests, as several countries have updated their forest inventories, and it will also be possible to confirm the apparent tendency for deforestation figures to decrease.

10. Even though the principles of sound forest management have been known for several decades, their large-scale implementation is not a generalized practice. Recent positive developments include the placing of native forests under sustainable forest management applying newly developed concepts and practices. A small percentage of the native forest area is intervened in accordance with the concepts and practices. However, this area is still relatively minor. According to estimates made in some countries, the percentages of native forests under management vary between 5% and 13%. Only a few countries provide incentives for forest management. A number of countries in the Region are conducting pilot programmes, aimed at promoting the implementation of sustainable management of natural forests. Among them, mention may be made of Brazil, Costa Rica, Guyana, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

11. Some positive tendencies observed in the Region are: the development and implementation of new policies and laws; the participation of countries in international fora; the development of Criteria and Indicators for sustainable forest management to meet the demands of all sectors of society, frequently with the strong involvement of civil society organizations. However, the implementation of international agreements and the assessment and monitoring of sustainable forest management using criteria and indicators developed in international processes in which the countries of the Region participate, are slow or are not yet fully reflected in policies or legislation at the national level.

12. An interesting initiative, developed at least by three countries, is the establishment of model forests whose purpose it is to further test and demonstrate the benefits of implementation of sustainable forest management taking into account productive, protective and environmental aspects, and underpinning action by ample participation of various groups of society.

13. Sustainable management of natural forests, especially tropical forests, should be gradually improved based on new research. This situation is countered by the precarious state of forestry research capacity in the countries of the Region. The gaps in research are further aggravated by the need to re-orient efforts to meet new demands related to the implementation of Criteria and Indicators for sustainable forest management. Furthermore, the compliance with international commitments.

14. In recent years, private forest enterprises have become increasingly interested in various forest certification processes. In Chile and Brazil, a number of enterprises have obtained certification for their processes in accordance with ISO 14,000 standards. In addition, several countries of the Region have certified forests in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. Among them are Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico and Guatemala. It is also important to point out that there are management units administrated by communities that have been certified, notably in Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia, Honduras and Costa Rica.

15. Some countries of the Region are revising their natural forest concession mechanisms (Bolivia, Guatemala), as they are an important source of inadequate management, and consequently, forest degradation. Likewise, in several countries privatization processes have been initiated, among which consideration is given to the devolution of properties to indigenous communities (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru), creation of communal reserves and extractive reserves (Brazil).

Forest plantations

16. Forest plantations are an important component of the Region's forest resources, totalling an area of nearly 12 million hectares, which represent a little over 1% of the Region's forests. Most of these resources (11 million hectares) are in South America. Even though forest plantations today represent only a small percentage of the total forest cover, they play an important role in meeting the requirements for new materials of forest industries in the Region.

17. Most countries have introduced legislation supporting mechanisms in their forest policies to promote the establishment of forest plantations. The countries that have been most successful in implementing these mechanisms are Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.

18. Brazil stands out as the main country as regards forest plantations, with a total area of 6 million hectares and a yearly plantation rate over the past five years of nearly 130,000 hectares. Chile, which has a forest plantation area of 2.1 million hectares, had an average plantation rate of 91,000 hectares a year between 1994 and 1998. In the last two years (1998-1999) a considerable drop occurred in the forestation rates in Chile, as a result of internal situations and favourable conditions for forest plantations in neighbouring countries (Argentina and Uruguay), which recently established important programmes to incentivate plantation activities. In Venezuela, on the other hand, forestation efforts continue to be made by state-run institutions.

19. Most plantations in South America have been made using introduced species. Plantations with species of the genera Eucalyptus and Pinus predominate, and they have proved to adapt well to the various conditions and needs of countries in the Region. In Central America and in Mexico, plantations with species originating in the sub-region itself are predominant, even though plantations are also made using some species of Eucalyptus.

20. Many of the countries with large-scale forest plantations have important genetic improvement programmes. Private industry and forest enterprises are important initiators or partners in most of these. Examples include established tree improvement programmes for Eucalyptus and Pinus species in Brazil and Chile, and for Pinus in Colombia. Mexico, among others, has started genetic improvement programmes in recent years.

21. Forest plantations, especially in sub-tropical areas, are usually highly productive as compared to natural forests. The countries with the greatest forest plantation programmes (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay and Venezuela) have devoted a large part of their research to underpin the establishment and management of plantations. This has been done to the detriment of native forests.

FOREST POLICY, LEGISLATION AND PLANNING

Formulation processes for forest policies

22. Most countries of the Region do not have explicit forest policies, therefore, policies must be deduced from the forest, conservation and environmental laws, and from the countries' forestry action programmes, plans and projects. Only fourteen countries have formulated explicit forest policies. A positive trend in this respect is observable at present, as a result of the most recent international discussions on forests (Intergovernmental Panel on Forests-IPF, Intergovernmental Forum on Forests-IFF).

23. Although the situation varies, it may be stated that, in general, countries have numerous policies, laws and programmes aimed at regulating, orienting and promoting the use of forests and the development of forestry activities, which does not always translate into solutions for the problems affecting forests and the forestry sector. The execution, control and monitoring phases are generally deficient, reducing the effectiveness of legislative and planning efforts.

24. Most of the countries are considering the need to increase the participation of civil society in the formulation of forest policies and, generally, they have established some type of structure at the government level to achieve such participation. In spite of this, the formulation of forest policies continues to be centralized in governmental institutions to a great extent, mainly the ministries of agriculture and environment. Although policies originate mostly in government agencies, there is a tendency towards greater participation of civil society, through organized groups, in the formulation of policies. In some countries the participation of such groups translates into opinions that are not necessarily taken into account.

25. For several reasons the trend towards a greater participation of civil society in the development on forest policies does not ensure the implementation of these policies nor the achievement of the proposed targets. Undoubtedly, a determining factor for the success of forest policies is the degree of political commitment at the government level and the effective integration of the forest policy into a national economic development plan.

26. Another important problem identified in relation with forest policies and legislation is their lack of integration with other related sectors, both at the private and state level. This disconnection is particularly important when the ministries managing financial resources are not involved.

The principal subjects of forest policies at the national level

27. Sustainable forest management is undoubtedly the predominant subject in forestry discussions in the Region. All the countries recognize the need to advance towards the implementation of sustainable forest management, and need to ensure that forests fully contribute to national development and particularly the development of local communities, which, especially in the case of the tropical countries of Central and South America, are closely linked with forests. Agenda 21, Forestry Principles, the process on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, and the results of the intergovernmental discussion on forests in the United Nations (IPF/IFF), are elements that are being gradually integrated into the process of defining, formulating and implementing forest policies in the Region, in some cases within the framework of national forest programmes.

28. Deforestation and its causes continue to be one of the main items in the forestry debate. In most countries pressure on land for agricultural and livestock production continues, and constitutes an important cause of deforestation. Generally, agricultural, mining and settlement policies, plus general development policies, predominate over forest policies or do not adequately consider the impact of decisions on the forestry sector.

29. Forest degradation also constitutes an important subject of discussion in the Region. The main causes of forest degradation are forest exploitation without applying adequate management principles. Knowledge of such principles and methods are often available, however, they are not adequately implemented, supervised and controlled by concerned authorities; illegal logging is a problem in most countries. The short-term concession system used by some countries also contributes to forest degradation. Especially in the case of very short concessions, it is not to be expected that sustainable forest management criteria will be applied.

30. Awareness and the need for adequate land-use planning is a subject that has gained importance in many countries of the Region. The lack of planning is often considered among the main causes of deforestation and forest degradation. In spite of increased concern, only a few countries have legislation in this area or are in the process of developing such legislation.

31. Knowledge of the extent and status of national forest resources is one of the key elements for the development of sectoral policies. Several countries of the Region are in the process of, or are carrying out national forest inventories, have national monitoring programmes of the forest cover, forest cadastres, or include the subject of resource evaluation among the elements considered in their forest policies. This is the case of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, which recently carried out national forest inventories or have well-established forest monitoring programmes such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

FORESTRY INSTITUTIONS

32. The countries of the Region are characterized having a large number of institutions related with forest and forestry activities. This, far from being an advantage, often gives raise to problems which become manifest in a lack of coordination, duplication of efforts and even contradictory policies or actions. In the face of this, many countries have analyzed the situation of their institutions for the purpose of adapting them to the new demands imposed by society in relation with forests and their functions.

33. Public forest administrations in many countries do not have a hierarchical and political level in line with the importance of the forestry sector, nor the capacity to efficiently exercise the functions assigned to them. In the face of this situation, a number of countries of the Region have modified the institutional organization of the sector, transferring the responsibility for the native forests to environmental authorities. In general, this measure has not solved the problems and it is even pointed out that in some countries this change has resulted in a loss of importance of the subject of forestry.

34. Some countries indicate the need to create institutions to group the forest sector's activities or to assign to it, in the government structure, levels in accordance with the sector's importance.

35. Decentralization of forest institutions is another subject which has become important in discussions in many countries of the Region. The existence of highly centralised government and forest administration systems is identified as one of the factors making forest development difficult. A large part of the resources are assigned at the central levels, to the detriment of the development of capacities at the regional or provincial levels.

ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF FOREST USE

36. According to the FAO report, State of the World's Forests, 1999, total wood production in the Region of Latin America and the Caribbean, amounts to 394 million m³, representing 11.8% of world wood consumption. Of this consumption, 64.5% (254 million m³) corresponds to fuelwood and charcoal, the remainder is used for industrial purposes. In South America fuelwood and coal consumption represents 60% of total consumption, while in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, it amounts to 85% of total wood consumption.

37. In spite of the enormous extension of forests and of favourable conditions for their growth in the Region, wood consumption for industrial purposes is very limited and represents only 9.4% of world consumption. Sawnwood production represents 7.6%; wood panels 4.6%; pulp 5.8% and paper and cardboard 4.4%. A large part of industrial production is concentrated in South America.

38. In South America, except for Brazil and Chile, and in Central America, Honduras and Guatemala, the contribution of the forestry sector to the countries' GNP is not significant. In spite of this, forests play an important social and environmental role that it is not reflected in the national accounts. It is important that countries reflect the goods and services from forests (fuelwood, charcoal, fruits, protection, recreation and others) in their national accounts, for the purpose of establishing the real contribution of forests to national economies.

39. In the Region, except for Brazil, Chile and more recently Uruguay, forest activities are mainly aimed at internal markets. The future development of the sector must be in line with the opening of new markets and policies to facilitate and increment the private sector's action, which is recognized as a fundamental element of forest development.

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF FOREST USE

40. The Region is undergoing a positive change as regards society's perception of the importance of forests, not only from the economic point of view, but also from an environmental and social perspective.

41. Concern about the services generated by forests is arising in many countries of the Region. Following the example of Costa Rica, which was the first to modify its legislation to include environmental services, several countries of the Region are considering the inclusion of this subject in their policies and legislation.

42. A manifestation of society's concern for the environment and particularly for forests, is the existence of a large number of non-governmental institutions involved in this subject. These organizations develop decisive action in favour of forests, and endeavour to influence policies and legislation which regulate the use, management and conservation of forest ecosystems and other natural areas. In some countries they have become an element in opposition to forest projects of some importance.

43. A large number of the countries of the Region have mechanisms intended to increment the participation of civil society in decisions regarding policies and legislation related with the management and use of forest resources. Particular concern has been expressed in some countries - Brazil, Colombia, Peru - regarding a more effective incorporation of indigenous communities in the decision making processes of forest policies, programmes and projects.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF FOREST USE

44. The environmental importance of forests is well recognised in all the countries of the Region. This is reflected in the structural changes in government organizations, in the orientation of policies and greater participation of civil society in subjects connected with forest conservation and management.

45. The Region has a total of 230 million hectares of protected areas. All told, protected areas represent 11% of the area of the Region. Several countries are outstanding because of the high percentage of their territory under conservation. Among them, mention may be made of Costa Rica, (25.8%); Chile (18.7%); Guatemala (19.6%) and Panama (29%).

46. Protected areas in many countries of the Region show severe management deficiencies. For various reasons, countries do not assign sufficient resources for their proper protection and administration. This is reflected in the lack of management plans, illegal felling of theoretically protected forests; illegal occupation of land in national parks and reserves, illegal capture of wildlife and the occurrence of intentional fires.
47. Forest fires have been one of the main environmental problems in the 1998-99 period. The presence of the Niño Current, in 1998, produced severe droughts in Central and South America, favouring devastating fires which appear to have affected nearly 3.8 million hectares. A large part of these fires, and in the case of some countries nearly all of them, were originated by human action.

FORESTRY RESEARCH

48. Progress towards sustainable forest management in the Region, considering all the elements involved in this concept, will require an enormous research effort, especially in subjects related with the functioning of the complex forest ecosystems in the Region. Strengthening the capacity for forestry research is an essential requirement for the advancement towards sustainable management of the Region's forests.

49. Forestry research in the Region is clearly insufficient, especially in subjects related with natural forests. This is due, largely, to the lack of clear and explicit policies that recognize the importance of forests and forestry research, not only as important elements of development, but also as fundamental elements for the well being of the community in general.

50. Many countries recognize the need for making changes in the institutional system of forestry to correct these deficiencies. Most of the countries of the Region have a large number of institutions linked with forestry research. This produces coordination problems and a lack of collaboration, leading to duplication of efforts, the existence of weak institutions and scarce possibilities for developing multidisciplinary research.

51. A large number of countries in the Region have concentrated their research on subjects related with the establishment, management and use of forest plantations, generally made with introduced species. Although this has produced important benefits in several countries, it has negatively affected research of native forests, limiting the possibility for furthering and improving practices of sustainable forest management. In addition, improved management of secondary forests is an emerging research need with great potential in the Region.

52. In general, it is believed that countries in the Region do not assign enough resources to forestry research. Governments continue to be the main source of financing, but there is a trend towards reducing the funds for forestry research in state institutions, with the understanding that the void left by them would be filled by the private sector; however, this is not always the case. This has forced institutions to commercialise research, which albeit is a feasible way to obtain financing if research is aimed mainly at productive and marketing aspects. Sustainable forest management, as defined at present, poses other questions and will demand a review of research priorities.

53. Financing through bidding for funds is a mechanism that has been increasing in several countries of the Region. This mechanism, which provides advantages as it allows for a good selection of projects and opens important opportunities for collaboration with the private sector, generates serious problems for the stability of forestry research institutions that do not have permanent budgets to enable them to maintain stable, high level research teams nor long term research, which are fundamental for the forest activity. The participation of the private sector in financing forestry research, in general, continues to be limited, although in some countries, Brazil for instance, its contribution is considerable.

54. International cooperation has played an important role in the Region's forestry research. It should be incremented in the future, as the extension and complexity of forest ecosystems in the Region constitute a challenge that clearly overrides the technical and economic capacity of most countries. Without the cooperation of developed countries and international organizations, progress towards sustainable forest management in many countries of the Region is viewed as a far off target.

CONCLUSIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

55. Deforestation continues to be one of the main problems affecting the Region, in so far as natural resources management is concerned. It is not possible to obtain enough information from national reports to determine the tendency of this situation. The results of the World Forest Resources Assessment, FRA 2000, conducted by FAO and to be published by the end of the year 2000, will be fundamental in learning about the real situation of forests in Latin America and the Caribbean.

56. The countries must make an effort to improve information acquisition on forests and the forestry activities in general; such information constitutes the basis for investment and development of the forestry sector and for the establishment of efficient forest management and conservation programmes.

57. Most countries mention natural forest management as one of the main subjects in their forest policy agendas, however, there is insufficient information on the extent of natural forests that is actually placed under sustainable management. Existing information tends to indicate that forest management is still restricted to small areas. One of the most important things to achieve in the field of forest information in the coming years is a realistic evaluation of the implementation of the concepts of sustainable forest management in the Region's forests.

58. Forest certification is acquiring more importance in the countries of the Region. Forestry enterprises are becoming aware of the need to certify the management of their forests to maintain a competitive position in world markets. Although this is a slow process, it is worth pointing out that in recent years nearly 1.6 million hectares have been certified in accordance with FSC criteria.

59. Secondary forests are an important resource in many countries of the Region. Countries must intensify their research in connection with this type of forests, as they generally show high growth rates and provide an interesting opportunity from the forest management point of view.

60. In connection with forest plantations, in general there have not been important changes in recent years. Argentina and Uruguay continue with a substantial development of forest plantations, while forestation rates in Chile, together with Brazil, which had been leading this activity over the last 20 years, continued declining. Mexico has started an important forestation programme.

61. Most countries have designed mechanisms to permit greater participation of civil society in the development and implementation of their forest policies and legislation. This trend, which is undoubtedly positive, has not yet brought about substantial changes in so far as implementing the policies or enforcing the laws. Without doubt that participation alone is not enough to make policies and laws successful.

62. In relation with the subject of forest policies, it is important for countries to make them explicit, as this will allow for a greater commitment of the forestry sector and society in general to comply with them. Countries must emphasise the policies that have made the greatest social impact.

63. In recent years, many countries of the Region have made changes in the institutions related with forest conservation and management. Up to now and in accordance with information received, the effect of these changes has been varied in as far as improving government administration related with forest management. It has even been pointed out that in some countries, far from favouring the sector, these changes have relegated forestry to a secondary position, below the levels of policy decisions.

64. Forestry activities in most countries of the Region are aimed at domestic consumption. Scarce efforts have been made to open new markets for wood and non-wood forest products from natural forests, due to which the contribution of the forestry sector to the GNP is of little significance to the country. Fuelwood and charcoal consumption continues to be the main destination of wood in the Region.

65. Many countries of the Region have actively participated in processes such as those that define Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, and also in the United Nations Intergovernmental Forum on Forests. In spite of this, no substantial progress has been made in implementing these criteria at the national level or in the implementation of the United Nations agreements.

66. The countries of the Region have declared large forest areas and other wilderness areas as part of their protected area systems. These areas present serious management deficiencies. The countries must assign more resources to achieve effective protection and management of their national parks and reserves, and evaluate the percentage of the latter that may actually be considered as protected areas.

67. Forest fires constitute one of the main economic and environmental problems affecting the Region. Considering that human action is the main cause of their occurrence, the countries should assign more resources to awareness raising and to programmes aimed at prediction, prevention and control programmes.

68. It is important to obtain the participation of the private sector in forestry research, which to date only exists in the countries with a more developed forestry sector. Furthermore, an important part of forestry research carried out in the Region has been aimed at forest plantations, to the detriment of knowledge regarding natural forests. Effective progress towards sustainable forest management of natural forests will require decisive action by the countries to strengthen research in this area.