PERCEPTIONS of tropical timber have improved immensely in recent years, according to speakers at the recent International Tropical Timber Council’s Annual Market Discussion which was held as part of the Council’s 51st session.The Annual Market Discussion, which was organised by the Trade Advisory Group, received presentations from leading industrialists and specialists as well as from James Gasana, a consultant, on strengthening the participation of the private sector in advancing the objectives of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).
The Trade Advisory Group said the time was now right for tropical timber traders to raise the profile of their products in the market place and to challenge the market share taken in recent years by competitors and alternatives. The tropical timber sector had demonstrated that it can verify the legal credentials of its products; now it needed to get that message out to the professionals, the architects, engineers and designers who specify and use wood.
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP
The Trade Advisory Group has been urging the International Tropical Timber Council to forge a stronger partnership with the private sector as a way of furthering its objectives. In 2014, it suggested exploring innovative ideas for a strategy that would better harness the timber private sector by “blending” private-sector expertise and ITTO resources.
The report prepared by Gasana summarised initiatives that other international organisations have embarked on with the timber private sector and indicated how ITTO could develop such a strategy.
“The lack of a strategy for a private-sector partnership is clearly in contrast with the expectations of both ITTO and the private sector for cooperation in achieving the priorities of successive ITTO Action Plans,” said Gasana in his presentation. “There is therefore a strong case for improving the situation by building a better defined and more innovative partnership.”
Meanwhile, Iwokrama’s model forestry project “The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation,” has begun the second phase of its model forestry operation.
The centre was established in 1996 by the Government of Guyana with the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat and is charged with managing a unique reserve of 371,000 hectares of rainforest.
Recent work involved zoning, resulting in the establishment of a Wilderness Preserve and a Sustainable Utilisation Area (SUA). The SUA was delineated as the area where the centre’s development work on an experimental timber model and other business strategies, including tourism and training, will be conducted.
A 60-year cutting cycle will yield a maximum of 1,800 ha (hectare) per year for selective harvesting. None of the logs harvested will be exported; only high grade sawn wood and other added-value products will be produced. The centre expects to maintain its working partnership with representatives from Amerindian communities within the area.
By Rabindra Rooplall