Four million hectares of native forest disappear each year from Latin America and the Caribbean as the result of deforestation that continues at an alarming rate, while bringing economic, social and environmental consequences on a massive scale. STANDING TALL: Despite this depressing scenario, there is a light in the woods. In the last two decades an alternative forest management system, known as Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), has been gaining ground in the EXEMPLARY CASES region. Unlike traditional management systems that tend to overlook long-term forest sustainability, this new system allows companies, OF SUSTAINABLE local communities or state institutions to produce goods and services from the forest while conserving it for future use. Sustainable forest FOREST management is already used in many countries of the region by different actors in different contexts and on varying scales. These experiences show the impressive economic, social and environmental MANAGEMENT benefi ts of this system, but such cases are generally not well known outside their local community. in Latin America and Based on a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the the Caribbean United Nations (FAO), these cases have been identifi ed, organized and published in this book with the aim of drawing attention to the progress that has been made in forest management in Latin America and the Caribbean. The study highlights 35 cases in 14 countries where sustainable forest management represents a practical and highly competitive option for local communities. The lessons learned from these experiences should act as a guide for other forest management initiatives, not only in the region but also in the rest of the world. To be successful, however, policies are needed that address land use and tenure issues while promoting more inclusive forms of production and enabling rural families to maintain their way of life and work in harmony with the environment. The knowledge generated by the experiences analyzed in this book can help to meet these challenges and to formulate effective strategies to mitigate climate change. JUNTA DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN FAO GDCP-INT-006-SPA Project In search of Exemplary Cases of Sustainable Forest Management in Latin America and the Caribbean. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Junta de Castilla y León, España Compilation and drafting: César Sabogal y Jessica Casaza Spanish edition: Nelson González English edition and translation: Julián Dowling Graphic design and layout: Guillermo Grebe Photographs: A. Vitale, M. Muriel, S. Mahadeo Singh, L. Chauchard, M. Segur, F. Carrera, C. Alvarado, J. Herrero, M. Morell, V. Outon, H. Moreno, C. Sabogal, P. Bholanath, G. Marshall. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concening the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specifi c companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily refl ect the views of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-106677-5 All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and all other queries concerning rights and licences, should be addressed by e-mail to [email protected] or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Offi ce of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. © FAO 2010 PREFACE Forest cover continues to be lost in Latin America and the Caribbean at a worrying pace, contributing to the poverty that persists in the region. The alarming fi gure of four million hectares of native forest cleared annually in Latin America between 2005 and 20101 is evidence of this trend. But this fi gure does not include forest degradation, which is caused mainly by changes in land-use practices using the powerful weapon of fi re. The important economic, social and environmental consequences of deforestation and forest degradation are hard to quantify. At the same time, the economic value of a forest’s many positive externalities apart from its direct or tangible benefi ts are diffi cult to measure and forest conservation is generally not considered a generator of future income. This problem is the result of various factors including the general lack of political awareness about the goods and services generated by forests, poor land management, disputes over land ownership, population growth and weak governance. But the contribution of forests to mitigating rural poverty is indisputable. The Buenos Aires Declaration at the XIII World Forestry Conference in October 2009 was emphatic in affi rming that “forests play an important role in alleviating poverty.” However, this function needs to be better documented since most of the benefi ts of forests for poor families are experienced at a subsistence level and are therefore not included in national statistics. The important contribution of forests to the economy is also underestimated since only a fraction of the real benefi ts derived from them are measured and included in national accounts. According to recent FAO studies, the practice of sustainable forest management has not been widely applied in Latin America and the Caribbean where the concept exists more in theory than in practice. This is partly due to lack of information, making it diffi cult to obtain an overall vision of forest management in the region based on the few cases encountered. This publication aims to address this problem by collecting, analyzing and reporting exemplary cases of good forestry management. It includes examples of forest management techniques and practices used in different contexts and conditions throughout the region, highlighting the factors that facilitated their success so that others may follow their example. The book is also designed to help lawmakers create and strengthen forestry policies at different levels of government in Latin America and the Caribbean, while pointing out the major challenges that still must be faced. 1Global Forest Resources Assessments (FRA 2010) 3 The book is based on a FAO study that began in 2007 following recommendations by the Forestry Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (COFLAC in Spa- nish). At its 2010 meeting, the Commission suggested that publishing the study’s re- sults would make them more widely accessible, especially considering that 2011 has been declared the International Year of the Forests. The Commission also fully supported a proposal for a second phase of the project that will include more forest management cases in the region with an emphasis on training and exchanging knowledge and experiences to strengthen the application of sustainable forest management at a national level. We hope that the publication of this book will promote the development of sustainable management practices in the region. But the application of such practices still depends to a large extent on the economic, political and cultural frameworks at a national level, which ultimately determine the balance between forest conservation and conversion, environmental protection and wood production, silviculture and agricultural activities. Ultimately, the meaning of sustainable forest management goes beyond the problem of deforestation and reforestation. It has to do with the needs of people who live in rural communities to maintain and increase the variety of services and economic benefi ts pro- vided by a healthy forest to improve their quality of life. Eduardo Rojas- Briales José Graziano da Silva Assistant Director-General Regional Representative for Latin America Forestry Department and the Caribbean 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expresses its sincere thanks to organizations and individuals who collaborated in the execution of the study by providing information, advice, services and support at different stages of the process, under the supervision of Carlos Marx Ribeiro Carneiro, Senior Forestry Offi cer at the FAO Regional Offi ce for Latin America and the Caribbean (FAO RLC), José Antonio Prado, director of FAO’s Forest Evaluation, Planning and Conservation Division, and Jessica Casaza, FAO’s regional coordinator and senior consultant on the project. In particular, FAO recognizes the support and dedication of Froylán Castañeda, a retired Forestry Offi cer of FAO Forestry Department, during the fi rst years of the project’s implementation; and César Sabogal, a former consultant from the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). FAO also appreciates the excellent work carried out by the Ibero-American Panel of Experts comprised of Miguel Segur, Environmental Advisor in the Junta de Castilla y Leon, Spain; Luis Chauchard, Professor at the Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina; Jaén Evelyn Chaves, Former coordinator of