ISSN 1022–5439

TFU
Tropical Forest Update

Promoting theconservation andsustainable developmentof tropical forests
Volume 33 No.2 2024

Lighting the path to sustainable development
In recent decades, tropical forest stakeholders have experienced massivechange, both within the tropical timber sector and beyond. Driven by rising
environmental concerns and climate change, many countries have adopted
policies to make their economic and social development more sustainable.
In the tropical timber sector, this shift has come, for instance, throughthe adoption of sustainable forest management (SFM) practices, forest
certification, and timber traceability systems, often with ITTO support.
For tropical timber producer countries and their forest industries, a key
incentive has been to maintain access to major markets. Australia, theEuropean Union, Japan and the United States have all introduced legislation
designed to prevent the import and sale of unsustainable or illegal wood
products. The stated aims of the legislation (including the new European

Union Deforestation Regulation—see also p. 26) are laudable. After all,tropical deforestation continues; illegal logging is a major obstacle to thedevelopment of sustainable tropical forestry industries; and new technology
is making it easier for responsible producers and users to trace timber andother commodities back to their source and prove their “green” credentials.
Still, new regulations often raise concerns, for instance about their ability
to deliver promised benefits, disruption of established trade patterns andadditional administrative burdens.
Such issues highlight the importance of a strong interface between scienceand policy, sincere engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, andplotting a transition path that supports and safeguards livelihoods andindustries as well as the global environment for the long run.

Decades of change in tropical timber . ITTO at UNFF 19 . ITTO FRL guidelines . moreContents
Contents
Mapping three decades of change in tropical timber....3

A new ITTO study charts how economic shocks, demographic trends,
and the rise of plantations have transformed the sector. Maplesden

ITTO calls for more action and investment fortropical forests.........................................................................7

At the 19th Session of the UN Forum on Forests, ITTO pressed formore action, investment and collaboration to unlock the potentialof tropical forests to meet global challenges. ITTO Secretariat

Putting ITTO guidelines at the heart of the global
restoration drive...................................................................10
The UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration provides a platform
for the wider application of ITTO’s guidelines on forest landscaperestoration in the tropics. Sabogal, Blaser, and Mansourian

Empowering customary landowners in Papua
New Guinea to participate in community forest
management..........................................................................14
An ITTO project established a model system for community-basedland-use planning and forest resource assessment that could help
support payment for ecosystem services and REDD+ initiatives.
Rollinson,Ma, Kaip, Jenkihau, Kaidong and Rome

Understanding mangroves to better combat
climatechange........................................................................18

Research by an ITTO Fellow is providing new insights into greenhousegas fluxes from mangrove tree species to the atmosphere. Salas-Rabaza

Market trends.........................................................................21
The economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic fizzled in 2023,
making it a tough year for tropical timber producers. Adams
Tropical and topical..............................................................26
Recent editions......................................................................27
Meetings...................................................................................28

EditorRamón Carrillo
Consulting editor
Stephen Graham
Editorial assistantKenneth Sato
Secretarial assistant Kanako Ishii
DesignDesignOne (Australia)
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International Tropical Timber Organization
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Cover image: Villagers carrying sawnwood in Honitetu, a village
in Maluku Province, Indonesia. Photo: Ulet Ifansasti/CIFOR
Above: View of Minato-Mirai, Yokoahama. Photo: Yokohama Convention and
Visitors Bureau

2 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

… Editorial continued
As the sole international organization with amandate entirely focused on tropical forests,
ITTO works tirelessly to light that path forthe sustainable development of the sector,
through high-level advocacy for global
action and cooperation; the development,
dissemination and field implementation ofbest practices for SFM and the creation oflegal and sustainable supply chains; and theprovision of targeted market information tocreate transparent timber trade and enable
better decision-making—all of which ison display in this edition of Tropical
Forest Update.
For example, on p. 3, consultant Frances
Maplesden presents findings from alandmark new report that draws on ITTO’s
unique statistical database to demonstrate
the transformation of world production,
consumption and trade in tropical wood
products over the past three decades. Tracing
trends such as the declining availability
and quality of tropical timber from naturalforests, and the shifting location of tropicalwood product industries, the article iscomplemented by our regular market trends
feature on p. 21 which describes major
developments in timber markets in 2023.
ITTO’s role in highlighting how sustainably
managed tropical forests and trade insustainable timber and forest products
help address global challenges is the focusof the article on p. 7, which details theOrganization’s participation in the 19th
Session of the United Nations Forum on
Forests. ITTO officials called during theforum at UN Headquarters in New Yorkfor more action, investment and cooperation
on tropical forests and underlined theimportance of SFM for realizing the UN
Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 and its six
Global Forest Goals. ITTO is also supporting
increased networking, collaboration andbusiness exchange among timber industry
stakeholders by co-organizing the Global
Legal and Sustainable Timber Forum 2024,
which will take place in September and is
described on p. 25.
Work to optimize the management of
tropical forests and maximize the benefits
they provide is exemplified by ITTO’s
development of technical and policy
guidelines tailored to the needs of tropicalmember countries. Cesar Sabogal, Juergen
Blaser and Stephanie Mansourian explainin the article on p. 10 how ITTO guidanceon tropical forest landscape restoration
represent a valuable resource for projects andprogrammes initiated under the UN Decadeon Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030.
Also in this issue: Simon Rollinson, Hwan-ok
Ma and officials from the Papua New Guinea
Forest Authority describe on p. 14 an ITTO
project that established a model systemfor community-based land-use planningand forest resource assessment that could
support payment for ecosystem services
and REDD+ initiatives there; and ITTO
Fellow Julio Salas-Rabaza describes on p. 18
his pioneering work in Mexico to improve
our understanding of greenhouse gas fluxes
in mangrove tree species.
All of the above illustrates how the paceof change affecting tropical timber isunrelenting. ITTO is committed toenhancing its members’ ability to identify
and adapt to new circumstances, help theirforests and forestry industries to thrive, andenable the sector to deliver its huge potential
contribution to a more prosperous andsustainable world.

Mapping three decades of change in tropical timber
A new ITTO study
charts how economic
shocks, demographic
trends, and therise of plantations
have transformed
the sector
by Frances Maplesden
Consultant(fran.maplesden@gmail.com)

Invested in timber: View of a board processing facility in Curitibanos, Brazil. Photo: F. Zequinão

In the past three decades, world production, consumption
and trade in tropical wood products has undergone significant
change: the availability and quality of tropical timber fromnatural forests has become increasingly restricted; andeconomic and demographic changes have shifted thelocation and growth of tropical wood product industries—
and the geographic location of demand—from developed
to developing countries.
A major new ITTO report charts in detail this long-termtransformation of the tropical wood products sector. Drawing
on information from the ITTO Statistics Database, Tropicaltimber trends1 provides a comprehensive overview of tropicaltimber production, consumption and trade from 1990 to 2020.
The report, which will soon be published, is an essential
contribution to the creation of transparency in timbermarkets. As such, it is a valuable resource for decisionmakers in both the public and private sectors as theyseek to understand and shape a sector that is central
to the Sustainable Development Goals, from ending ofpoverty to stemming the climate and biodiversity crises.
This article presents some of the report’s major findings,
including how economic shocks have affected the sector,
and describes long-term trends in the production andtrade of logs, sawnwood, veneer sheets and plywood,
including across value chains and for products such as
furniture and wood panels.

Shocks and supply shifts
Three major economic shocks—the Asian financial crisis(1997–1998), the global financial and economic crisis (GEC)(2008–2009), and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022)—
1 The report will be available at www.itto.int/technical_report

had major impacts on the supply of and demand for tropicalwood products. The Asian financial crisis led to an expansionof plantations of profitable commodities such as palm oiland rubber in Southeast Asia and an increase in the lossof natural forests. The GEC had significant impacts on
construction and consumer spending—and therefore demand
for tropical wood products—in developed economies,
particularly in North America and the European Union.
However, growth in consumption and imports of primarywood products in China and India cushioned the impacts ofthe crisis for tropical exporters. In contrast to the GEC, when
demand factors had the most impact on wood products
trade, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in severe disruptions
to production, transport and shipping and thus supply chains.
Tropical roundwood production is dominated by six
countries—Indonesia (30% by volume in 2020), India (18%),
Viet Nam (12%), Brazil (11%), Thailand (4%) and Malaysia(4%). Malaysia’s production has declined significantly since
1990, mostly in response to reductions in logging quotas
associated with its sustainable forest management (SFM)
policies. In contrast, production has grown over the period inIndonesia and Viet Nam. A major trend has been growth inroundwood production from plantations in tropical producer
countries and a decline in production from natural forests,
which has been impacted by historical overexploitationand initiatives to enhance SFM and reduce illegal logging
and trade.
Tropical sawnwood production was relatively steadyglobally between 1990 to 2000, rose to a peak in 2007, at
72.7 million m3, and to another in 2017, at 80.8 million m3,
before retreating to 71.4 million m3 in 2021. There have beensignificant differences in trends between countries, however,
the most significant of which is the emergence of China asa major producer since 2012, with a tropical sawnwood
ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 3

… Mapping three decades of change in tropical timber

Pivot to Asia: Aerial view of a wood market in Yaounde, Cameroon. African exports are increasingly heading to Asia rather than Europe.
Photo Mokhamad Edliadi/CIFOR

industry based on imported logs. Brazil’s production
declined sharply since 2012, and production fell steadilyin Malaysia and Indonesia from about 1990. The tropicalsawnwood industry has been dominated by small andmedium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which were more
vulnerable than larger enterprises to the economic shocks
described above.
The tropical sawmilling sector in Africa is highly exportdependent, with production affected by demand in export
markets. A trend in the region since 2010 has been the transfer
of industry investment from predominantly European-owned
firms to Asian-owned firms, reflecting an increase in Chinesedemand for hardwood sawnwood from non-traditionalsources; Asia’s demand for a wider range of species thansought by European buyers; and the high costs associated withproducing certified products required by European markets.

Plywood and processed products
Tropical plywood production has undergone major changes
in location, from Japan (which was the dominant plywood
producer and importer of tropical logs until the early 1990s)
and Indonesia to Malaysia (until the 2000s) and then to
China, India and, to a lesser extent, Viet Nam. These changes
reflect the relative competitiveness of plywood processingin the major producer countries and growth in domestic
plywood demand in China and India. Other notable trends
include the declining availability of large-diameter peelerquality logs, significant changes in production technology,
rising production costs, and the increased availability ofpanel substitute products.

4 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

China and Viet Nam have become the major tropicalmanufacturing hubs for secondary processed wood products(SPWPs). Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are also important
tropical SPWP producers based on plantation timbers. Tropical
producer countries, however, are generally characterized bylow levels of investment in wood technology, manufacturing,marketing, and research and development. Moreover, thepreponderance of SMEs has exposed tropical producers
during global economic shocks because of limitations totheir access to finance, negotiating power, and ability torespond quickly when markets recover.

Trade moves east
World trade in tropical industrial roundwood has trended
downwards since 1990, with notable declines in 1997, 2007
and 2020 in response to global economic shocks and withpeaks in 1990, 2000 and 2014 when demand in importmarkets surged. Major changes in the directions of trade
have also occurred. The bulk of import demand has shiftedfrom Japan and, to a lesser extent, the Republic of Korea,
Taiwan Province of China and EU countries (who together
accounted for 78% of world imports in 1990 but for only 9%
in 2021) to mainly China and India, which were responsiblefor 62% and 16%, respectively, of world imports in 2021,
compared with 4% and 5% in 1990. Trends in global importsof tropical logs since 2010 have largely reflected demand in
China’s domestic market and its export markets for SPWPs.
China has diversified its tropical log sources frompredominantly Southeast Asia to the Pacific and Africa.
Major trends in tropical log exports include a progressive
decline in exports from Malaysia with the shrinking
availability of resources though SFM initiatives; and a decline

Adding value: Asia has become a major hub for processed wood products, such as these pallets made in Thailand. Photo: Nonthaphat Saetan/ITTO

in exports from the Mekong subregion in response to a
general decline in the availability of industrial roundwood
from natural forests due to historical overexploitation,
various government measures to limit harvesting in naturalforests, restrictions on exports of primary wood products,
and national and international measures to control illegal
logging and cross-border trade. Africa’s export focus haschanged from EU countries to China, while Papua New
Guinea and Solomon Islands are now the top exportersof tropical logs, which go overwhelmingly to China.
Tropical log exports have been affected by trade restrictions
imposed by exporter countries, particularly quantitative
restrictions on exports of unprocessed logs, quotas onexports of certain products and species, and log export
taxes. Although restrictions on exports of unprocessedlogs led to increased domestic wood-processing capacity(e.g. in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines), this hasoften come at a high economic cost in the form ofsubsidization and inefficiencies—low log-conversion
efficiencies are associated with industrial overcapacity
and high rates of deforestation.
Major trends in the tropical sawnwood trade since 1990
have been the decline in importance of Europe (particularly
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain andthe United Kingdom), which has traditionally been an
important market for tropical sawnwood, particularly fromAfrica; and the significant growth of China’s tropical sawnwood
imports, which reflects China’s domestic consumption
and demand from the country’s export-oriented wood
manufacturing industries, particularly wooden furniture andflooring, as well as the relative competitiveness of tropicalsawnwood manufactured from imported tropical logs.

Exports of tropical sawnwood have transitioned fromproducts sourced predominantly from natural forests to
those sourced from plantations. There have been significant
declines in sawnwood exports from Brazil, Indonesia andMalaysia, but Thailand’s exports of plantation-grown
rubberwood have grown since 2009, almost all of which
has gone to China’s wooden furniture industry.

Lower Japanese imports
Plywood is the major tropical wood-based panel product,
although its production and trade has declined since the1990s, when tropical plywood dominated the trade inwood-based panels. A major change in tropical plywood
imports has been the decline in Japan’s imports because offactors including: a shift in demand to domestic plywood
in response to the declining availability and relatively highprices of South Sea plywood; the risk of exchange-ratefluctuations (which affect imported plywood but not
Japanese plywood manufactured from domestic materials);
government promotion aimed at expanding domestic
wood use; and consumer concerns about the environmental
consequences of using tropical hardwoods. Technology
changes also enabled industry to transition from theuse of tropical hardwoods to softwoods.
Tropical plywood imports into the United States of America
are linked closely to housing and construction trends, with
imports accelerating between 2017 to 2021 amid surging
economic growth and housing starts, in addition to do-ityourself home improvements and repairs during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Antidumping investigations andthe imposition of antidumping duties have affected the

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 5

… Mapping three decades of change in tropical timber

Buoyant demand: Log transport along a river in Ucayali, Peru. Photo: R. Carrillo

country’s imports of tropical plywood from China, with
importers diversifying their sources with other tropicalplywood suppliers.
The tropical plywood export trade has been dominated by
China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Viet Nam, with export trends
reflecting the relative competitiveness of these countries,
related mainly to supply-side issues, specifically accessto supplies of peeler logs of an appropriate quality andinternational concerns about legal sourcing and governance.
In 1996, the peak year, Indonesia supplied 52% of world
exports and Malaysia supplied 29%, but exports by China
and Viet Nam were small. China became a major exporterin the 2000s and Viet Nam has emerged more recently(since 2017).

6 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

Furniture growth
There has been significant growth in the value of exports
of SPWPs from tropical countries, from USD 1.7 billion in1990 to USD 14.7 billion in 2000 and to USD 36.1 billion in
2022. This has been driven by exports of wooden furniturefrom China and other tropical exporters, notably Viet Nam;the share of wooden furniture in total SPWP exports (byvalue) from tropical countries increased from 28% in 1990,
to 57% in 2000, to 75% in 2022. The bulk of exports arefrom the Asia-Pacific region. Viet Nam and other tropicalexporters have benefited from US antidumping measureson imports from China.
The dominant markets for SPWP imports are countries
with developed economies. Global demand for wooden
furniture and joinery products follows trends in housing
starts and consumer spending in the European Union andthe United States and in the competitiveness of imported
compared with domestically produced products. Importsof wooden furniture have grown considerably worldwide
since 1990, especially in Australia, EU countries, Japan, theRepublic of Korea and the United States.

ITTO calls for more action and investment for tropical forests
At the 19th Sessionof the UN Forum on
Forests, ITTO pressed
for more action,
investment andcollaboration to
unlock the potentialof tropical forests
to meet global
challenges
by ITTO Secretariat(itto@itto.int)

Together for forests: View of the plenary of UNFF19. Photo: Soo Min Lee/ITTO

Action and investment to strengthen legal and sustainablesupply chains and integrated fire management as well as
intensified international cooperation are essential to realize thehuge potential of tropical forests to address global challenges.
These were among the key messages delivered by ITTO
during the 19th Session of the United Nations Forumon Forests (UNFF), which was held on 6–10 May 2024
at UN Headquarters in New York.
ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru also used her
opening address as well as side-events co-organized by theOrganization to stress the centrality of sustainable forest
management (SFM) in implementing the UN Strategic Plan
for Forests 2030 (UNSPF) and its six Global Forest Goals.

Countering forest fire
In a statement to the plenary, Ms Satkuru commended India’s
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change forits leadership in steering recent international discussions
on forest fire and forest certification.
“It is essential to underscore the pressing need for heightened
collaboration and action, both locally and globally, to mitigate
the impacts of wildfires in tropical countries,” she told thedelegates. “Effective capacity building is critical for thisendeavour, encompassing knowledge exchange and thedevelopment of robust strategies for integrated landscapefire management.”
Ms Satkuru outlined ITTO’s longstanding efforts to address
tropical forest wildfires and to build capacity in partnershipwith governments and organizations, including throughrecent projects in Indonesia1 and Peru2 that were supportedby the Government of Japan.
At a side-event following the plenary, Ms Satkuru pointed
out that fire looms as an increasing threat to tropical forestsand has become a universal problem, thus countries needfinancial and political support to implement integrated
fire management.
The side-event, “Principles and Strategies for Integrated
Landscape Fire Management through Collaborative
Governance”, was co-convened with the Korea Forest Service,
India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,
the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Portugal’s Agency
for Integrated Rural Fire Management (AGIF), and the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“The climate is changing, fire seasons are becoming longer,
and fires are becoming more dangerous,” said the ITTO
Executive Director, who moderated the event. “With the risk
escalating, countries need to do more to manage landscapesand prevent wildfires … In many tropical countries,
international support and regional coordination is going
to be vital.”
ITTO’s Guidelines on Fire Management in Tropical Forests,3a landmark in forest fire management published in 1997,
is even more relevant and important today and is currently
undergoing revision to address current challenges andchanging conditions, stated Ms Satkuru.
Other speakers at the side-event included AGIF President
Tiago Oliveira, who informed participants about theLandscape Fire Management Framework, an outcome of
1 www.itto.int/project/id/PP-A_56-340-1
2 www.itto.int/project/id/PP-A_56-340-2
3 www.itto.int/guidelines

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 7

… ITTO calls for more action and investment for tropical forests

A panel for fire: View of the podium during the side-event “Principles and Strategies for Integrated Landscape Fire Management through Collaborative
Governance”. Photo: Soo Min Lee/ITTO

the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference held in
Porto, Portugal, in May 2023; Jitendra Kumar and R. Raghu
Prasad, who detailed outcomes of the country-led initiative
on forest fire held in India in October 2023; Korea Forest
Service’s Jina Kim, who described work by her organization
to implement integrated forest fire management, including
under the recently launched Assuring the Future of Forests
with Integrated Risk Management Mechanism; and Wu
Zhimin, Director of FAO’s Forestry Division, who presented
the Global Fire Hub, a new platform designed to promoteinternational efforts towards integrated fire management.
The participants also engaged in a lively question-andanswer session.

Advancing sustainability
Forest certification is another important element of ITTO’s
commitment to promoting SFM practices in the forest-richtropics of Latin America, Africa and Asia.
In her plenary address, the ITTO Executive Director
emphasized the Organization’s support for capacity building
and policy discussions on forest certification systems, whichaligns with its work on criteria and indicators for sustainable
forest management. She noted that ITTO’s Legal andSustainable Supply Chains Programme is supporting theefforts of countries to combat illegal logging while also
promoting transparency and legality in timber trade.
Ms Satkuru informed delegates that the next meeting of
the Global Forum on Legal and Sustainable Timber will beheld in China in September 2024 with the aim of enhancing
sustainable forest management and promoting legal andsustainable wood product supply chains (see theannouncement on page p. 25).
In a side-event on the second day of the UNFF meeting,
ITTO stressed how sustainable production of woodand forest products must be balanced with sustainableconsumption to enable countries to meet the cost of SFM.
8 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

Ms Satkuru also moderated this side-event, which was titled“Mainstreaming Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains of
Tropical Wood Products for Responsible Production andConsumption” and organized along with India’s Ministryof Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
The event featured four speakers: K. Ravichandran,Director of the Indian Institute of Forest Management, whospoke about India’s Forest and Wood Certification Scheme;
Dato’ Ahmad Fadzil bin Abdul Majid, Senior Director at theForest Department of Peninsular Malaysia, who informed
participants about the role of legal and sustainable timber
supply chains in Malaysia; Martir Vazques, Deputy Directorof Guatemala’s National Forest Institute, who presented on
Guatemala’s timber traceability and control system; andJoseph Appiah of the Ghana Forestry Commission, whoreported on challenges and opportunities in implementing
Ghana’s timber certification system.
ITTO noted that major strides had been made in
implementing SFM in the tropics, and forest certificationand legality verification are effective tools for informing
consumers on the certified or verified sources of the wood
products they buy. However, consumer markets need torecognize that demand for SFM, the implementation of
SFM, and its certification result in extra costs that should
be shared among producers and consumers.
“Sustainable forest management is essential for ensuring thelong-term sustainable use of forest products, but it incurs
costs that producers alone cannot shoulder,” said Ms Satkuru.
“Consumers rightly want the wood products they buy to befrom responsibly managed forests, but awareness needs tobe raised so they understand the very real costs involved,
such as those arising from the technical expertise, financial
and human resources required, and the need for consumers
to help meet those costs and support such long-term
commitments. Fiscal and non-fiscal incentives are critical.”Advancing sustainable forestry: ITTO builds capacity and provides aforum for policy discussions on forest certification systems, which aligns
with the Organization’s work on criteria and indicators for sustainable
forest management. Photo L. Amissah/ITTO Fellow

A green solution: Sustainable and legally harvested tropical wood
products are a nature-based solution to current global challenges; moreinvestment is needed to boost their contributions. Photo: CONAFOR

Ms Satkuru pointed out how the use of legally and sustainably
sourced wood products helps mitigate climate change interms of carbon sequestration and storage for the life cycleof wood products, in addition to creating employment,enriching livelihoods and contributing to poverty eradication– all benefits that contribute to the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals and the UNSPF.

Ms Satkuru called for innovative approaches to ensure
equitable access to finance, which could involve public or
private investment, or a blend of both. She said open accessto specialist and technical knowledge was also needed, as
well as the sharing of science, data and experiences in SFM.

Collaboration for investment
During the session, ITTO also emphasized how international
processes must collectively intensify efforts to accelerate
investment in SFM and unlock the potential benefits oftropical forests.
“Tropical forests can be the most effective and cost-effective
nature-based solution if their potential and values are
maximized through SFM and sustainable timber tradein order to avoid land-use change to more economically
productive uses,” Ms Satkuru told the high-level segmentof the Collaborative Partnership on Forests held on 9 May.
“We need to turbo-charge global efforts and collaboration
between the international processes to invest in SFM.”“We suggest international donors and multilateralmechanisms further strengthen their collaboration to enable
more effective and aligned allocation of funding and ensure
equitable access for specialist forestry-related internationalorganizations to this funding to support the different areasthat require urgent attention in member states,” she said.

For more detailed coverage of the UNFF session and ITTO’s
activities, including a wide range of presentations deliveredat ITTO side-events, see the following stories available atwww.itto.int/top_stories.
• Executive Director calls on international processes to“turbo-charge” sustainable tropical forestry• Producers and consumers must share the cost of SFM,
says Executive Director• At UNFF 19, Executive Director stresses need for morecollaboration and capacity building

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 9

Putting ITTO guidelines at the heart of the global restoration drive
The UN Decadefor Ecosystem
Restoration provides
a platform for thewider applicationof ITTO’s guidelines
on forest landscaperestoration in
the tropics
by Cesar Sabogal,1Juergen Blaser,2 andStephanie Mansourian3

1 Consultant(sabogalcesar10@gmail.com)

2 Bern University of Applied Sciences
3 Mansourian.org and Universityof Lausanne

Restoration on the march: A community plantation supported by an ITTO restoration project in Begoro forest district, Ghana. Photo: Alex Aglebe

In 2020, ITTO launched an updated version of its groundbreaking guidelines for forest landscape restoration (FLR)
in the tropics (ITTO 2020). The publication was timely. Ater
all, restoring tropical forests was already widely recognized
as essential for the delivery of a host of benefits, from climate
and biodiversity conservation to sustainable social andeconomic development. Work to halt deforestation andexpand restoration in tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America
was gathering pace, including through the persistent policy
and project work of ITTO and its partners.
A year later, the opportunity to advance FLR in the tropics
widened further with the launch of the United Nations
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030.4 The UN
Decade has heightened awareness, action and investmentin the field of ecosystem restoration and already led to many
positive outcomes. These include the development of principles(FAO et al. 2021) and standards (Nelson et al. 2024) to guide
restoration efforts across a broad range of ecosystems, thegrowth of online databases of restoration projects (such as
those maintained by the Society for Ecological Restoration
and Restor5) and significant additional financing, including
via the integrated programme on ecosystem restoration
included in the 2022–2026 funding cycle of the Global
Environment Facility.
With the UN Decade now in full swing, this article highlights
the practicality of the ITTO guidelines and underlines theirrelevance in ensuring that restoration is carried out in linewith practices rooted in years of scientific research and field
experience and thus delivers to the maximum on its promisefor both people and nature.
4 www.decadeonrestoration.org

5 The Society for Ecological Restoration’s Restoration Resource Center maintains a project

database at: https://ser-rrc.org/; Restor’s database is accessible at: https://restor.eco

10 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

The ITTO guidelines
The ITTO Guidelines for the Restoration, Management andRehabilitation of Degraded and Secondary Tropical Forests
were first published more than two decades ago (ITTO2002). Developed with partners including the Center forInternational Forestry Research, the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, the World Wide Fundfor Nature and the International Union for Conservationof Nature, these were the first global guidelines on forest
restoration and rehabilitation.
The 2020 update—published under the title Guidelines for
Forest Landscape Restoration in the Tropics—was the resultof a highly participatory process. Led by the first two authorsof this article, the revision drew on inputs from 43 experts
from around the world, representing a range of different
sectors, disciplines and institutions. ITTO also worked
closely with the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, theAsian Forest Cooperation Organization and many otherpartners in their production.
The user-friendly document that resulted is based aroundthe six internationally recognized FLR principles developed
just two years earlier by the Global Partnership on Forest
and Landscape Restoration (Besseau et al. 2018). The ITTO
guidelines unpack and operationalize these principles forthe context of tropical forests through the provision of 32
guiding elements (GEs) (Table 1). It is important to notethat the GEs are intended to promote enabling conditions
for successful FLR implementation and outcomes without
being overly prescriptive.
As a result, the ITTO guidelines are applicable acrossdifferent scenarios, including the restoration of degradednatural (production and protection) forests; the management

Table 1: Overview of the six principles (P1–P6) and 32 guiding elements (GE1–GE32) in the ITTO guidelines for FLR in the tropics
P1

Focus on landscapes

GE1

Undertake inclusive, gender-responsive landscape-level assessment and land-use planning

GE2

Gain recognition that FLR must transcend sector policies

GE3

Conduct FLR at an appropriate scale

GE4

Address tenure and access rights

P2

Engage stakeholders and support participatory governance

GE5

Build adequate governance capacity for decentralized FLR

GE6Obtain strong stakeholder engagement

GE7

Conduct joint stakeholder analysis of the drivers of degradation

GE8

Strive for social equity and benefit sharing

GE9

Conduct participatory FLR planning, decision-making and monitoring

GE10

Build stakeholder capacity for sharing responsibility for FLR

GE11

Address long-term financing for FLR initiatives

GE12

Establish a favourable investment environment for FLR

P3

Restore multiple functions for multiple benefits

GE13

Generate multiple functions and benefits

GE14

Conserve biodiversity and restore ecological functions

GE15

Improve livelihoods

GE16

Make full use of locally based knowledge

P4

Maintain and enhance natural forest ecosystems within landscapes

GE17

Avoid the conversion of natural forests

GE18

Restore degraded forests and rehabilitate degraded forest land

GE19

Avoid forest fragmentation

GE20

Conserve natural grasslands, savannas and wetlands

P5

Tailor to the local context using a variety of approaches

GE21

Assess local context and restrictions

GE22

Allow for future changes in conditions

GE23

Tailor FLR interventions to the local context and generate local benefits

GE24

Achieve the financial and economic viability of FLR investments

GE25

Identify opportunities to increase local incomes

GE26

Develop sustainable supply chains

P6

Manage adaptively for long-term resilience

GE27

Take an adaptive management approach

GE28

Continually measure the biophysical dimensions of the landscape

GE29

Periodically assess vulnerability to climate change

GE30

Develop participatory monitoring of FLR

GE31

Encourage open access to, and the sharing of, information and knowledge

GE32

Report on FLR outcomesof secondary forests; the rehabilitation of degraded
forested or formerly forested land to improve protective
and productive functions; and the integration of trees inagricultural landscapes.
The target audience is also broad, including governments,
national development and extension agencies, legislators,
restoration practitioners, community-based organizations,private-sector organizations, civil-society organizations,and research and education institutions.
The recently launched UN Decade Standards of Practiceon Ecosystem Restoration (Nelson et al. 2024), which apply
to all ecosystems, have been inspired in part by the ITTO
guidelines and we find large areas of overlap.

Applying the guidelines
Ultimately, guidance remains just that, and adapting itto the specific context of an individual restoration projector programme is fundamental to its appropriate use andapplication. The ITTO guidelines emphasize the importanceof context and show how they can be applied in a wide
variety of settings through 18 case studies.
The case studies illustrate the application of the principles
and GEs and some of the challenges that can arise. Most of
the case studies demonstrate the application of three or more
FLR principles, especially principle 2 (“Engage stakeholders
and support participatory governance”), and principle 3(“Restore multiple functions for multiple benefits”).
ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 11

… Putting ITTO guidelines at the heart of the global restoration drive
Table 2 presents a summary of one of the case studies
and illustrates how the ITTO guidelines can assist both
policymakers and implementers to understand the main
issues they need to consider in a particular tropical
restoration context, including the importance of including
the human dimension in FLR interventions (Mansourian
et al. 2024).

Looking ahead
With the UN Decade and other initiatives raising bothawareness and action for ecosystem restoration, we believethat the ITTO guidelines can and should be more broadly
applied and we make three recommendations to amplify
their uptake and impact.
Restoration of a dipterocarp forest: A 16-year-old plantation in aconcession in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, one of the 18 case studies
that illustrate the application of the ITTO guidelines for FLR in the tropics.
Photo: Sari Bumi Kusuma

First, key elements of the guidelines could be embeddedin the work of global conventions with a shared interest inpromoting ecosystem restoration, notably the Convention
on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to

Table 2: Description of the case study “Rehabilitation of degraded forests by local communities in Ghana” (Source: ITTO 2020)
Location

Pamu-Berekum Forest Reserve, Afrensu-Brohoma Forest Reserve, and Southern Scarp Forest Reserve.

Context

The over-exploitation of forest resources, agricultural expansion into forest areas, wildfires and mining
activities have significantly reduced the forest cover and degraded most of the reserved forest areasin Ghana, negatively affecting biodiversity, soils and agricultural productivity.

Main objective

To rehabilitate degraded reserved forest areas collaboratively and sustainably managed with local
communities to serve as a major source of livelihood.

Restoration intervention

Restoration of degraded forests for production.

Process and methodological approach,techniques and tools used

The project was guided by a participatory process. Local communities were the main actors in plantation
establishment. They were also included in land use surveys, focus group discussions and capacity
building together with the Forest Service Division. Furthermore, capacity building on plantation
management techniques, timber and carbon valuation, monitoring and governance were central
aspects of the approach.

Field-level practices implemented

Seed propagation and nursery establishment.
Establishment of tree plantations with various indigenous and one exotic tree species.
Enrichment planting of five non-timber forest product (NTFP) tree species in the plantations.
Methodology for communities to calculate timber financial values.
Estimation of carbon stocks and CO2 reduction through restoration.
Plantation registration and development of management plans.

Outcomes

225 ha of plantation with 48 tree species established in four years, thus contributing to water supply
and carbon sequestration.
Over 180 farmers have registered their plantation plots with the government.
Five NTFP tree species integrated in established plantations at one project site.
Several technical reports and publications which support researchers and practitioners incommunity-based degraded forest restoration.

Conditions for successful replication
in a similar context

Local institutional arrangements need to be in place to govern and manage established plantationsin the long term.
Use of local knowledge.
Collaboration and clear distribution of roles between government-affiliated stakeholders and local
communities.
Green fire breaks around established plantations to prevent wildfires.

Main challenges faced

Restricted tree tenure and complicated plantation registration procedure.
Continued wildfires, unsustainable farming practices and illegal logging.
Conflicts with nomadic livestock herders.

Key messages and lessons learned

Strong commitment from forest resource managers (communities) needed.
Opportunity costs for not converting degraded forest areas into agricultural lands need to be accounted
for, e.g. through payments for ecosystem services, carbon credits or alternative livelihoods.

12 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

Sustaining communities: Staff from an ITTO project collecting biodata from farmers to share benefits from a plantation in Offinso district, Ghana.
Photo: Emmanuel Antwi Bawuah

Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change. As these conventions provide
guidance to their Parties on meeting global targets, elementsof the ITTO guidelines can represent tangible and supportive
contributions for the Parties. This could be achieved throughside-events at key meetings of the Parties, as well as discussions
with the convention secretariats to mainstream elementsof the ITTO guidelines in guidance for the implementationof the conventions’ strategies and frameworks.
Second, we highlight the need for regional capacity-building
workshops to discuss and disseminate the guidelines among
mid-level practitioners and decision-makers, for instancein forest services and non-government organizations. These
workshops would serve to not only present the main elementsof the guidelines but also talk through case studies anddiscuss national and regional specificities.
In a final and related point, we advocate for a mechanism
to collect lessons emerging from the implementation of
the guidelines that can provide a basis for further refining
them but also of communicating and disseminating theever-increasing restoration know-how that is emerging
from their application.

References
Besseau, P., Graham, S. and Christophersen, T. (eds). 2018. Restoring
forests and landscapes: the key to a sustainable future. GPFLR, Vienna.
FAO, IUCN CEM and SER. 2021. Principles for ecosystem restoration
to guide the United Nations Decade 2021–2030. FAO, Rome.
ITTO 2002. ITTO guidelines for the restoration, management andrehabilitation of degraded and secondary tropical forests. ITTO Policy
Development Series No. 13. ITTO, Yokohama.
ITTO 2020. Guidelines for forest landscape restoration in the tropics.
ITTO Policy Development Series No. 24. ITTO, Yokohama.
Mansourian, S., Derkyi, M., Djenontin, I., Elias, M., Pacheco, P., Oldekop,J., Diederichsen, A. et al. 2024. Human Dimensions of Forest Landscape
Restoration. IUFRO, Vienna.
Nelson, C.R., Hallett, J.G., Romero Montoya, A.E., Andrade, A., Besacier,C., Boerger, V., Bouazza, K., et al., 2024. Standards of practice to guideecosystem restoration – A contribution to the United Nations Decadeon Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. FAO, SER and IUCN CEM, Rome,
Washington, DC, and Gland.

The Guidelines for Forest Landscape Restoration in the Tropics(including their 18 case studies) are available in English,
French and Spanish at www.itto.int/guidelines/

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 13

Empowering customary landowners in Papua New Guinea
to participate in community forest management
An ITTO project
established amodel system forcommunity-basedland-use planningand forest resource
assessment that could
help support payment
for ecosystem services
and REDD+ initiatives
by Simon Rollinson,1
Hwan-ok Ma,2
Dambis Kaip,3Alois Jenkihau,4Elizabeth Kaidong5
and Guduru Rome6
123456

1 Managing Director, Pacific Island

Measuring forest biomass: Abram Umari of the Ugalingu Community (right) recording forest biomass data with Jerry Leon (left) of the PNGFA at asample plot in the Ugalingu Conservation Area, Madang Province. Photo: D. Kenny

Projects (simon@pip.com.pg)

2 Consultant

3 Director of Policy and Planning,

Papua New Guinea Forest Authority(PNGFA)
4 Manager of Policy and Aid
Coordination, PNGFA
5 Manager of Climate Change Branch,
PNGFA
6 Senior Aid and Policy Officer, PNGFA

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the largest country in the PacificIslands region with a land area of around 463 000 km2. The
landscape comprises islands, lowlands and highlands ranging
from sea level to over 4 000 metres. PNG has a very diverse
natural environment due to large variations in landform,
rainfall, and altitude. Its social context is equally diverse, withmore than 800 tribal groups and languages. Most land isheld under customary ownership with an average population
density of around 18 people per square kilometre. Importantland-use decisions are usually made at the clan level.
A pre-project survey indicated that, while customarylandowners were generally well informed about the quality of
their forests, they were often excluded from forest resource
assessment activities, forest management decision-making
processes, and associated development opportunities. Thishighlighted the potential for a multi-stakeholder approachto community forest management (CFM) that engaged
customary landowners at the local level and enhanced thecapacity of government institutions at the national level.
In this context, the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA), withsupport from partners including ITTO and Pacific Islands
Projects, designed and implemented a project to establish
a model community-based land-use planning and forest
resource assessment system that supports CFM schemes,such as those involving payments for ecosystem services(PES) or following the REDD+7 framework. The project
also sought to increase landowner understanding about
the goods and services that forests provide.
7 REDD+ is a framework to encourage climate mitigation action developed under theUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The acronym stands
for “reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing
countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, andenhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.”

14 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

To establish the model, PNGFA selected four pilot areas
spread across the four regions of PNG, together with four
local partners and associated pilot communities (Figure 1).
Project activities were managed at the national level by
PNGFA, working in collaboration with the partners andpilot communities at the local level.
Three cross-cutting strategies shaped the technicalcomponents of the project: a participatory geographic
information system was used to engage communities indata collection and land-use planning activities; two-way
communication was used to foster knowledge-sharing
between pilot communities, local partners and government
agencies; and capacity building was used to ensure thesustainability of project outputs.

Participatory data collection
The first task was to identify variables with potential toenable customary landowners to participate effectively in
CFM schemes. These were selected through desk research,
reviewed by project partners and stakeholders, andembedded in forms and reports on five topics relevant tothe context and aligned with the ITTO guidelines on thesustainable management of tropical forests:8• Community testimonial forms and reports todemonstrate a community’s understanding of a
proposed CFM enterprise or activity and theircommitment to engaging in it.
• Land-use survey forms and reports to facilitate
land-use planning and monitoring within a CFM
enterprise. This includes the collection of key performanceindicators, as well as data for ground-truthing.
8 ITTO 2015. Voluntary guidelines for the sustainable management of natural tropicalforests. ITTO Policy Development Series No. 20. International Tropical Timber
Organization, Yokohama, Japan. Available at: www.itto.int/guidelines/

Figure 1: The project’s four local partners and their pilot communities (Ainbul, Mareka, Haia, Ugalingu and Gibara) representing
PNG’s four administrative regions (Islands, Highlands, Momase and Southern)

Source: Google Maps

• Forest biomass forms and reports to measure andmonitor the above-ground carbon pool at selected plots.
This data can be included in the monitoring framework
for REDD+ projects.
• Socioeconomics forms and reports to facilitate
land-use planning and monitoring at both household andcommunity levels, and on seasonal and annual timescales.
• Biodiversity forms and reports to measure andmonitor wildlife populations (e.g. key indicator species).
The socio-economic reports may also indicate pressures,
benefits and community responses related to biodiversity.
Baseline data collection activities indicated that ruralcommunities could collect data for the majority of thesevariables with appropriate technology and adequate
capacity building. Software appropriate to the projectcontext was next selected from a variety of open sourceand proprietary options with reference to the pre-project
findings. KoboToolbox was found to have all the requiredfeatures for offline mobile data collection and online data
management, as well as the most user-friendly interfaces.
Twelve data collection forms and reports covering the fivehigh-priority CFM topics were then constructed, tested by
the local partners and their pilot communities andreviewed during the project’s mid-term national workshop.
The project team recommended that local partners and theirpilot communities first select priority CFM topics suited totheir specific contexts and planned activities. The goal wasfor participatory data collection activities to start with justone or two forms, building the capacity of community
members to become more autonomous over time. For fieldtesting, each local partner was allocated one CFM topic tofocus on and supplied with tablets, external GPS devices
and solar chargers to enable data collection in the field.

Community profile: Lulu Osembo and Keran Aselai (Milne Bay Provincial
Administration) collecting socioeconomic data from the Gibara Community’s
Ward Development Committee. Photo: S. Rollinson

Training and awareness materials
Training and awareness materials were prepared to support
data collection and management activities with reference tocurrent policies, laws and regulations and available online
resources. The results were also reviewed during the midterm national workshop with the project’s local and national
partners, leading to the publication of eight guidance sheets,
five awareness videos and four technical reports.

Online platforms
The data collection forms, training and awareness resources,
technical reports and other resources developed by the
project were consolidated in a Community Foresters Tool
Kit (CFTK). There are plans to make the toolkit available ona website, a Youtube channel and a folder on Google Drive
so that they can be easily shared with community forestry
partners and accessed via mobile phone or desktop apps.
In addition, two networking platforms have also been
set up to encourage the exchange of information andideas between forest resource owners, local partners
and government agencies:
ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 15

… Empowering customary landowners in Papua New Guinea to participate
in community forest management

Guidance sheet: Inside pages of the “How to manage land-use
surveys” pamphlet (available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1
Wd1zayDGwYSAUcCTQyvomqRy_bm6u9qn?usp=sharing)

Awareness video: Scene from the “How do biodiversity surveys help
forest resource owners” video (available at: https://drive.google.com/
drive/folders/1Wcgu-O3ho77HN3CUs713Lkig1UBhhdKj?usp=sharing)• The CFTK WhatsApp community provides an online
communication forum for local and national partners.
The forum, which includes four groups focused on landuse, forest biomass, socioeconomics and biodiversity,
assisted in the field-testing activities and enabled rapid
responses to software errors encountered in the field.

Project participants have gained a better understanding ofland-use planning processes and how they can make sounddecisions regarding the resources they have in theircommunities,” Wahe said.

• The CFTK Class on Google Classroom provides an online
communication forum for local and national partners
together with structured “classwork” for delivering
material, assignments and questions (e.g. members willsoon be assigned feedback forms designed to improvethe current communication platforms).

Promising results
The local partner for the Momase Region, Foundation
for People and Community Development (FPCD), has
strengthened its engagement with the pilot communityat Ugalingu in Madang Province using the forest biomass
and socioeconomics survey forms, leading to:• Production of a community land-use map in three steps:(i) awareness and boundary demarcation; (ii) draft map
review and confirmation; (iii) discussion and mappingof land-use allocations• Arrangements made for adding additional clan land
to the Ugalingu Conservation Area and updating theconservation area map• Provision of informed community consent to proceedwith a project concept note for validation under Climate
Community and Biodiversity Standards9 with support
from the People Resources & Conservation Foundation(PRCF)10
Wendy Wahe from PNG’s Department of Lands and PhysicalPlanning has welcomed how the project is raising landownerawareness about the recently gazetted National Sustainable
Land Use Policy.
“Through the CFM project, communities are now awareof land-use planning activities in the targeted project sites.
9 www.climate-standards.org/ccb-standards/
10 https://prcfoundation.org

16 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

The local partner for the Southern Region, Milne Bay
Provincial Administration (MBPA), has strengthened its
engagement with the pilot community at Gibara Wardusing the socioeconomics survey forms, leading to:• A community workshop to review the survey findings
related to the ward (population, infrastructure andland) and households (resources and income) throughparticipatory appraisal and SWOT analysis, resulting in
the identification of possible CFM opportunities including
the establishment of a gazetted protected area withsupport from the PNG Biodiversity and Climate Fund.11• Preparation of a Ward Plan including improved land-use
planning and forest management activities as part of the
Huhu Local Level Government (LLG) Plan, which in turnhas been incorporated into Alotau District’s Integrated
Development Plan (2023−2027).
Lulu Osembo, the project coordinator for MBPA, said that
local-level data collection would improve the developmentof higher-level plans.
“So this data that is collected is not going to be wasted.
All the information we gather can be used for planningand decision-making purposes, not only at the community
level, but also at the LLG and district levels and within theforestry sector as a whole,” Osembo said.
In the Highlands Region, local partner the Researchand Conservation Foundation (RCF) has strengthened
its engagement with two pilot communities within the
Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area (CMWMA)
protected area using the community testimonial, land-use,socioeconomics and biodiversity survey forms, leading to:• Improved understanding of changes taking place within
the CMWMA and appropriate responses• Development of financial plans for the CMWMA
11 https://pngbcf.org/

Clan group: Henry Scheyvens of PRCF assisting youths from Ugalingu
with the land-use planning process. Photo: S. Serawe• Strengthened management of the protected area
through the revival of the CMWMA Committee• Production of learning resources for species andecosystem conservation• Strengthened partnerships and collaboration with othergovernment and non-government agencies
Project Coordinator for RCF, Billy Huanaromo, said he waslooking forward to rolling out the project’s data collection
and management system to support conservation in PNG.
“The KoboCollect and KoboToolbox Platforms are very
useful tools that can be used in many areas. RCF willcontinue to use the platform to develop customized forms
to aid our conservation efforts in the CMWMA and otherprotected areas”.
The local partner for the Islands Region, FORCERT(Forests for Certain, Forests for Life), has strengthened its
engagement with two pilot communities using the land-use,socioeconomics and biodiversity survey forms, leading to:• An improved database on cocoa farmers anddevelopment of practical monitoring protocols forcertified organic cocoa• Improved monitoring of locally identified highconservation value and IUCN Red List species withincommunity conservation areas• Increased capacity of pilot communities to evaluate
and revise their sustainable land use plans
Women’s representative for the Ainbul-Tetwe Incororated
Land Group, Mire Dixon, said she was glad to havecollaborated with the project.
“The project has helped the Ainbul community todevelop and monitor its sustainable land use plan and thesix land-use zones: conservation area, forest production
area, agricultural area, gardening area, government
services area and disputed area”.

What next?
The establishment of the model community-based landuse planning and forest resource assessment system is an
important milestone. The system has potential to support

Learning resources: The project has led to the production of education
and awareness materials for species and ecosystem conservation. Photo:B. Huanaromo

CFM initiatives, including PES and REDD+, in all four regionsof PNG. The resources gathered in the toolkit, the file-sharing
arrangements and networking forums have successfully
enabled local partners and their pilot communities toimprove their existing land-use planning and monitoring
practices as well as pursue new CFM opportunities.
While the project’s sustainability strategy is sound withregards to the environmental, technical, social, and economic
aspects, there is a pressing need for heightened investment
from the central government to fully harness the potentialof CFM as a strategic forest management initiative. This
increased investment is crucial to bolstering the productionof both timber and non-timber forest products, as well as
enhancing the provision of ecosystem services. Further
discussions are needed at the institutional level to identify
the roles and responsibilities of the government agencies
responsible for forestry, conservation, climate change andland use to ensure the effective coordination and supportof CFM initiatives at the national level.
During the project completion workshop, participants
underscored the significance of a collaborative approach
to facilitate the scale-up of data collection and multiple
management activities for sustainable livelihoods. This
collaborative effort is essential to empower forest resource
owners and local partners across diverse locations, enabling
their productive participation in CFM initiatives. By investingin these endeavours, the central government can not only
amplify the productivity of forest resources but also foster
inclusive and sustainable forest management that benefits
both communities and ecosystems.

Project outputs can be found by inserting the project code
PD764/14 Rev.3 (F) into the ITTO project search function atwww.itto.int/project_search. This project was made possible
by funding from the Government of Japan.

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 17

Understanding mangroves to better combat climate change
Research by an ITTO
Fellow is providing
new insights intogreenhouse gas fluxes
from mangrove tree
species to theatmosphereby Julio A. Salas-Rabaza
Yucatan Scientific ResearchCenter (CICY)(jsalasrab@gmail.com)

Roots that respire: Measuring greenhouse gas fluxes from a tree stem in a mangrove forest of the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico. Photo: Julio A. Salas-Rabaza

The acceptance of my application for an ITTO Fellowship
was among the best news I could have received in 2020.
After almost a year of frustration due to the COVID-19
pandemic, I could now do some of the research I had
proposed for my PhD. Readers from Latin America will
understand my immense joy, because they know that doing
science in our countries can seem like a revolutionary act: wehave access to great natural capital but little of the financial
kind. In addition, the proposed topic was new in Mexico,
which only added to the excitement.
My excitement about the Fellowship is rooted in my personal
story. As a child, I was fascinated by trees and their diversityof forms, textures and colours, and especially by how resilientand specialized they can be when growing in places whereother life forms do not thrive. Years later, this admiration saw
me major in Forest Restoration Engineering1 after which I
was convinced that trees and forests would save the world.
My master’s studies in plant physiology only strengthened
my conviction and steered me toward a PhD2 dedicated tounderstanding how plants work and how they interact with
their microenvironment. In particular, I wanted to elucidate
their contribution to natural emissions of greenhouse gases(GHGs) such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) andthus their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
For non-experts, the idea that trees can also emit GHG (Covey
and Megonigal 2019) may seem peculiar. In school, we learn
that trees and forests absorb CO2 from the atmosphere andpump out life-giving oxygen as they tap the sun’s energy tophotosynthesize the organic compounds that sustain lifeon Earth. However, trees are also living organisms thatneed to respire in order to grow and maintain their vitalfunctions, a process for which they must “breathe in”
oxygen and “breathe out” CO2 as a waste product, prettymuch as we do.
1 From Chapingo Autonomous University, Mexico.

2 At the Yucatán Scientific Research Center (CICY), Mexico.

18 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

Where methane comes from is more complicated. In extreme
environments with little available oxygen, plants modify
their anatomy and physiology to secure access to this vitalgas. Mangroves are a great example. Mangrove trees have
evolved and solved the problem of lack of oxygen (and ofhigh salinity) through genetic changes as well as metabolicand morphological modifications, including their bizarrelooking aerial roots. The roots make the trees look as if they
are supported by a multitude of long skinny legs or stilts,
which is why I like to call mangroves “millipede trees”. Theseroots, some types of which are called pneumatophores, act
as natural snorkels that allow plants to breathe in constantly
flooded sites. They contain aerenchyma, a specialized tissue
with air channels that allow the exchange of gases and whichis also present in stems (Yáñez-Espinosa and Ángeles 2022).
In addition, the outermost part of the skin of the roots andstems has many lenticels, which function as tiny doors
connecting the interior of the snorkel with the atmosphere.
As well as enabling oxygen to enter and move around theplant, these two structures may also allow soil-produced
gases such as CH4 to find an escape path to the atmosphere(Barba et al. 2019).
Where mangrove soils remain flooded over extended
periods, microorganisms that do not need oxygen for their
metabolism begin to proliferate. Among them are bacteria
and methanogenic archaea that produce CH4. This methane
accumulates in the sediment, because the water column
limits the diffusion of gases, making it up to ten thousand
times slower than in air, and thus favouring that thesegases enter the plants through their roots.
This brings us back to the main objectives of my thesis:
quantifying CH4 and CO2 fluxes from aerial roots andstems in the three main mangrove species in Mexico,
red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.), black mangrove

(Avicennia germinans (L.) L.) and white mangrove(Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F. Gaertn.); relating thesefluxes to gas-conducting plant tissues; and understanding
their contribution to the ecosystem’s carbon budget.

Finding the flux
With ITTO’s support, I undertook fieldwork during therainy and dry seasons in Yucatán State to evaluate different
mangrove ecotypes. We used a system of semi-rigid chambers(Siegenthaler et al. 2016) connected to a laser GHG analyzer
to record the concentration of gases (CH4, CO2 and water
vapour) in real time, and obtain a rate or flux (i.e. an amountof gas emitted per unit area per unit time).
Our results show that mangroves function as structures that
conduct GHGs from the soil to the atmosphere through theirroots and stems. However, this does not mean that trees are
no longer “the good guys” in our story. Instead, it reinforces
the fact that we still have a long way to go to fully understandthese trees. And we must of course remember that losing
mangroves would see emissions multiply dramatically(Jeffrey et al. 2019).
More concretely, the results give us an idea of the magnitudesof emissions (Salas-Rabaza et al. 2023; Salas-Rabaza et al.).
This can serve to improve local carbon models to have a more
realistic natural GHG emissions baseline and inform efforts
to achieve international emission reductions. At the sametime, more work is needed to understand the biophysicalmechanisms that allow the movement of gases in plants, aswell as the micro-environmental characteristics that drive it.
While ITTO support has been invaluable in this latter
regard, the impact of its Fellowships extends beyond boththeir duration and their focus on the tropics by allowing
Fellows to develop professionally, making our work visible
and creating new possibilities.

International reach: The Fellow at the 2024 IUFRO World Congress withan infographic showing his research findings that won the award for thebest poster at the week-long event. Photo: Julio A. Salas-Rabaza

For example, a second ITTO Fellowship funded my travelto the 2024 World Congress of the International Union ofForest Research Organizations (IUFRO) in June, where I
was honoured to share the results of my PhD with budding
and senior researchers from around the world—a memorable
experience and my first international conference held
entirely in the English language. Those findings are also
contained in two articles produced for scientific journals(see the reference section).

Other-worldly roots: Stilt roots of red mangrove (left) and pneumatophores of black mangrove (right). Photo: Julio A. Salas-Rabaza
ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 19

… Understanding mangroves to better combat climate change
Now I am continuing the effort to understand the role oftrees in CH4 and CO2 budgets in tropical wetlands witha focus on plant anatomy and physiology. For this, I am
grateful also to the trees themselves, which have led me tosee wonderful places where only they could have flourishedand where the connectedness of life is so vivid: between thesoil, the water, the biosphere, and the sky, in a continuous
multidirectional exchange of matter and energy.

Jeffrey, L., Reithmaier, G., Sippo, J., Johnston, S., Tait, D., Harada, Y. y
Maher, D. 2019. Are methane emissions from mangrove stems a cryptic
carbon loss pathway? Insights from a catastrophic forest mortality.
New Phytologist, 224: 146–154. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15995

References

Salas-Rabaza, J.A., Yáñez-Espinosa, L., Cejudo-Espinosa, E., CerónAguilera, S.G., Us-Santamaría, R. and Andrade J.L. Pneumatophores
CO2 effluxes decrease with increased salinity in mangrove forestsof Yucatán, Mexico. Scientific Reports 14: 18449. https://doi.
org/10.1038/s41598-024-68822-9.

Barba, J., Bradford, M.A., Brewer, P.E., Bruhn, D., Covey, K., van Haren,J., Megonigal, J., Mikkelsen, T.N., Pangala, S.R., Pihlatie, M., Poulter,
B., Rivas-Ubach, A., Schadt, C.W., Terazawa, K., Warner, D.L., Zhang,Z. and Vargas, R. 2019. Methane emissions from tree stems: a newfrontier in the global carbon cycle. New Phytologist, 222: 18-28.
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15582
Covey, K.R. and Megonigal, J.P. 2019. Methane productionand emissions in trees and forests. New Phytologist, 222: 35-51.
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15624

20 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

Salas-Rabaza, J.A., Andrade, J.L., Us-Santamaría, R., Morales-Rico,P., Mayora, G., Aguirre, F.J., Fecci-Machuca, V., Gade-Palma, E.M., andThalasso, F. 2023. Impacts of leaks and gas accumulation on closed
chamber methods for measuring methane and carbon dioxide fluxes
from tree stems. Science of The Total Environment, 904. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166358

Siegenthaler, A., Welch, B., Pangala, S., Peacock, M. y Gauci, V. 2016.
Technical Note: Semi-rigid chambers for methane gas flux measurements
on tree stems. Biogeosciences, 13, 1197–1207. DOI: 10.5194/bgd-1216019-2015
Yáñez-Espinosa, L., Angeles, G. 2022. Does mangrove stem bark havean internal pathway for gas flow? Trees 36, 361–377. https://doi.
org/10.1007/s00468-021-02210-y

Market trends
The economic
rebound from the
COVID-19 pandemic
fizzled in 2023,
making it a toughyear for tropicaltimber producers
Compiled from the
ITTO Tropical Timber
Market Report and othersources by Mike Adams(mis@itto.int)

Tough times: 2023 was a difficult year for the tropical timber sector, in particular for exporters. Photo: A. Benavides

In 2023, three years after the shock inflicted by the COVID-19
pandemic and the measures taken to contain it, the recoveryof the global economy was still incomplete amid widening
growth divergences between regions. Several forces held backeconomic activity, including the long-term consequences ofthe pandemic, the Russian Federation’s war in Ukraine andincreasing geo-economic fragmentation. Others were related
to the effects of monetary policy tightening to reduce
inflation, the winding down of fiscal support amid
increasing debt and extreme weather events.
The strongest rebound among major economies was in
the United States of America where GDP in 2023 exceed its
pre-pandemic level. The euro area recovered to some extent
but industrial output was still below pre-pandemic levels in
2023. In China the pandemic-related slowdown in 2022 anda property sector crisis contributed to slower than expected
recovery and this had major implications for tropical timber
exporters, especially commodity exporters. As a result, 2023
was a tough year for the tropical timber sector.

China’s real estate slump
Chinese economic growth in 2023 met the government’s
target of around 5% but a stronger recovery remained
elusive. Of concern in the timber sector were indications
that consumption in China slowed and the real estate market
slumped. Investment in real estate development posted its
second straight year of decline in 2023, sliding 10% from2022. In addition, the monthly housing price index for newly
built houses fell in 62 of 70 major cities. The financial healthof many construction companies has deteriorated especiallyas some were forced to default on debts. Across the country
construction projects have been suspended.
The government has made building completion a priority
and has a policy to financially support the completion ofproperties where construction had been suspended. It isestimated that around 60% of stalled building projects werecompleted in 2023. However, there were still as many as
20 million unfinished condominium units.

Log imports down
China Customs data shows total national log imports in 2023
totalled 38 million cubic metres valued at USD 6.4 billion,a decline of 13% in volume and 25% in value year on year.
Softwood log imports fell 10% to 28 million cubic metres,
accounting for 74% of the total, up 3 percentage points
from 2022.
Hardwood log imports in 2023 dropped by 20% to 9.9 million
cubic metres (26% of total log imports). Within this category,tropical log imports were 5.7 million cubic metres valued
at USD 1.5 billion, down 8% in volume and 19% in value
from 2022, accounting for 15% of the national total import
volume in 2023. Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon
Islands were the main suppliers of tropical logs to China,accounting for around two-thirds of the 2023 total. While
imports from PNG fell 3%, those from Solomon Islandsrose by the same proportion (Table 1).
Table 1: China’s main tropical hardwood log sources, 2023
Imports
000s cu.m

YoY% change

PNG

2 268

−3

Solomon Islands

1 475

3

Cameroon

439

4

Republic of the Congo

430

1

DRC

145

−36

Suriname

144

16

Mozambique

112

−52

Equatorial Guinea

112

−70

Data source: China Customs (DRC stands for Democratic Republic of the Congo)

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 21

… Market trends

Sawnwood imports up
China Customs reported 2023 total national sawnwood
imports of 27.8 million cubic metres valued at USD 6.8 billion,a year-on-year increase of 5% in volume but a decrease of
9% in value. Within this category, sawn softwood importsrose 4% to 18 million cubic metres and accounted for 65%
of the national total, almost the same as in 2022.
Sawn hardwood imports totalled 9.8 million cubic metres
valued at USD 3.3 billion, an increase of 7% in volume
but a decline of 5% in value from 2022. Tropical sawn
hardwood imports were 6.9 million cubic metres valued at
USD 1.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 9% in volume and
1% in value, and accounted for about 25% of the national
total, up one percentage point on 2022 levels.
Thailand was again the largest supplier of sawn tropical
hardwood to China in 2023, with its market share rising
to 65%. Imports from Thailand (predominately of sawn
rubberwood) totalled 4.5 million cubic metres valued at
USD 1.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 17% in volume
and 10% in value (Table 2).
The Philippines and Gabon were the second and thirdlargest suppliers. Sawn tropical hardwood imports fromthose countries amounted to 779 000 cubic metres and
538 000 cubic metres, respectively. While imports fromthe Philippines rose 19%, those from Gabon fell 11%.
Together, these three major producers supplied 84% ofChina’s tropical sawn hardwood requirements in the year.
Table 2: Main sources of China’s imports of tropical sawn
hardwood, 2023
Imports
000s cu.m

YoY% change

Thailand

4 497

17%

Philippines

779

19%

Gabon

538

−11%

Myanmar218

119%

Vietnam

165

145%

Cameroon

126

−19%

Malaysia

108−8%

Indonesia

95

−5%

PNG

62

7%

Laos PDR

56−22%

Data source: China Customs (Lao PDR stands for Lao People’s Democratic Republic)

Europe stagnates
The EU economy failed to pick up at the end of 2023,
extending the continent’s stagnation for another year. Zerogrowth for the October–December 2003 period followed
a contraction in the three months before. The 20 countries
that use the euro have not shown significant growth since
the third quarter of 2022, when gasoline prices surged andthe European Central Bank started raising interest rates.
The picture became worse as disruptions to shipping in the
Red Sea constricted global trade and pushed up shipping
costs, adding to inflationary pressure.
According to the European Commission, “towards the endof 2022 the economic expansion came to an abrupt end
and activity has since stagnated against the background
22 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

Slowing down and stacking up? Piles of sawnwood at a factory yard
in Shanghai. Photo: Li Qiang/ITTO

of falling household purchasing power, collapsing external
demand, forceful monetary tightening and the partial
withdrawal of fiscal support”.1

Construction activity
High interest rates and soaring building costs drasticallyreduced demand for new buildings in the EU in 2023. A
heightened focus on sustainability prevented construction
volumes from collapsing but reports suggest a steep decline
could begin to emerge in 2024.
Manufacturers of wooden building materials, cement, bricks
and concrete at the beginning of the value chain experienced
reduced demand. The steepest declines were seen in the
Netherlands (−19.5%) and Germany (−15.6%). A decline inbuilding permits, confidence and demand also indicated lower
output in the construction sector in the second half of 2023.

Falling imports
In 2023 the European Union imported 1.59 million tonnesof tropical wood and wooden furniture products with a total
value of USD 3.18 billion, respectively 18% and 27% less thanthe previous year. This marked a return to the historically
low pre-pandemic level.
The EU imported 91 500 cubic metres of tropical logs witha total value of USD 58 million in 2023, respectively 23% and
10% less than in 2022. The decline was universal across all
supply countries including the Republic of Congo (−8%),
Central African Republic (−36%), Democratic Republic ofCongo (−23%), Cameroon (−12%), Liberia (−61%), Guyana(−25%) and Paraguay (−56%).
The EU imported 848 000 cubic metres of tropical sawnwood
in 2023, 16% less than the previous year. The import valueof this commodity was USD 782 million in 2023, 14% lessthan in 2022. Imports declined from nearly all leading
supply countries.
Imports of plywood from tropical countries in 2023 totalled
267 600 cubic metres with a value of USD 197 million,
respectively 10% and 24% less than the previous year.
However, imports increased from China (+7%), Brazil (+9%)
and Paraguay (+3%). Imports from other tropical supply
countries declined, including Indonesia (−5%), Gabon (−13%),
Morocco (−31%), Viet Nam (−42%) and India (−44%).

1 https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2024-02/ip268_en_0.pdf

US growth leaves out housing
The US economy grew by an impressive 3.1% in 2023,
shaking off recession fears and offering an upbeat pictureof consumer and business sentiment as the Federal Reserve
managed to bring down inflation and steer the economy
toward a “soft landing.”
Consumer spending was a major driver of growth in theeconomy, encouraged by a strong job market and rising wages.
Increased government spending as well as higher exports
and more private and residential investment also lifted GDP.
Falling imports: Outdoor furniture made from tropical wood waiting tobe sold. Photo: AIDERThe EU imported 265 600 tonnes of wooden furniture fromtropical countries with a total value of USD 1 124 million
in 2023, down 24% and 35%, respectively, compared to theprevious year. Import values decreased from all leading
tropical supply countries (Table 3).

Japan’s currency woe

Despite the generally positive economic situation, theNational Association of Realtors reported that existinghome sales totalled 4.09 million in 2023, a 19% decline
from 2022. That was the weakest year for home sales since1995 and the biggest annual decline since 2007. For 2023,
housing starts fell 7% to 223 513 units from the prior year
and the federal housing agency attributed the weakness toa sharp drop-off in construction of single-detached homes.

Hardwood slide

In 2023 Japan’s GDP expanded by slightly more than 1% andunemployment rates were very low. However, sluggish wage
increases that were below the pace of inflation undermined
consumer sentiment and spending. The steady depreciationof the yen exchange rate pushed up import costs, expanded
public debt and raised uncertainties about the sustainabilityof fiscal policies adopted by the Bank of Japan.
Growth in Japan’s residential construction market continued
to weaken throughout 2023. Year on year, housing starts
in Japan fell by around 5% in 2023 after increasing in 2021
and 2022.
One of Japan’s biggest problems is its declining population.
Japan is forecast to lose a third of its population over the
next 50 years. The decline is already producing a surplusof housing with an estimated 9 million homes unoccupied.
The total volume of tropical, North American, Russian,
New Zealand, Chilean and European wood imported into
Japan in 2023 was around 5 550 000 cubic metres, about
the same level as in 1960. 2023 imports of North American
wood products decreased 20% from 2022 and imports ofEuropean wood products decreased 37% from the previous
year. In 2023 there was a steep decline in the volume ofimported plywood (mainly sourced from Indonesia andMalaysia) and laminated structural timber.
Table 3: EU tropical wooden furniture imports, 2023

Imports of sawn tropical hardwood into the United Statesfell from around 275 000 cubic metres in 2022 to less than
194 000 cubic metres in 2023, a decline of about 30%(Table 4). Imports of sapelli and ipe, which were both over
41 000 cubic metres in 2022, fell 22% and 47%, respectively.
Imports of acajou d’Afrique, virola, meranti, jatoba, teak,iroko, and paduak were all down more than 40%.
In 2023 Indonesia supplanted Viet Nam as the top supplierof hardwood plywood to the United States despite a 37%
drop in volume, as imports from Viet Nam fell 49% for
the year. Overall, imports were down by 25% in 2023 withvolumes from Malaysia, China, and the Russian Federation
all falling by at least half (Table 5).
The value of US imports of wooden furniture declinedby 22% from more than USD 25.3 billion in 2022 to USD
19.8 billion in 2023. Imports from the top suppliers, Viet Nam
and China, were down 21% and 28%, respectively. Imports
from most other countries saw similar declines (Table 6).
Table 4: US imports of sawn tropical hardwood, 2023
Imports
000s cu.m

YoY% change

Brazil

43 851−35

Indonesia

29 834−51

Malaysia

26 442−13

Cameroon

19 975−43

Republic of the Congo

16 554−19

Imports
000s USD

YoY% change

Viet Nam

445

−38

Ghana

7 274

4

Indonesia

334

−35

Ecuador

6 656

8.5

India

227

−30

Cote d’Ivoire

1 944

−55

Malaysia

79

−36

Peru

943

−57

Thailand

19

−32

Other

40 094

3

Philippines

8−20

Mexico

5

−17

Total

193 567

−30

Other

7

−13

Total

1 124

−35

Data source: US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Trade Statistics

Data source: Eurostat

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 23

Table 5: US hardwood plywood imports, 2023
Imports
000s cu.m

YoY% changeIndonesia

584 579−37

Viet Nam

505 570−49

Russian Federation

188 947−50

Ecuador138 479−4

Cambodia

125 981−18

Malaysia

64 658−67

China

45 984−53

Other

1 094 232

43

Total

2 748 430

−25

Data source: US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Trade Statistics

Cloudy outlook

Table 6: US imports of wooden furniture, 2023
Imports
000s USD

YoY% change

Viet Nam

7 338 255

−21

China

3 266 129−28

Mexico

1 687 416

−20

Canada1 646 380

0

Malaysia

1 014 998

−37

Indonesia

825 430

−32

India

439 009

−21

Other

4 045 556

−19

Total

19 824 164−22

Data source: US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Trade Statistics

Viet Nam: African imports drop

The World Bank has forecast that global growth will slow
to 2.4% in 2024, the third consecutive year of deceleration,reflecting the effects of tight monetary policies to rein in
inflation, restrictive credit conditions and anaemic global
trade and investment.
Near-term prospects are diverging, with subdued growth inmajor economies alongside improving conditions in emerging
market and developing economies (EMDEs) with solid
fundamentals. Meanwhile, the outlook for EMDEs withpronounced vulnerabilities remains precarious amid elevateddebt and financing costs. Downside risks to the outlook
predominate. The recent conflict in the Middle East, coming
on top of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, hasheightened geopolitical risks.

Viet Nam has become a leading producer of wood and wood
products and is the fifth biggest wood product exporter in theworld, the second biggest in Asia and the leading exporterin Southeast Asia.

Table 7 : Main sources of Viet Nam’s imports from Africa, 2023

Domestically, the industry draws raw material from3.69 million hectares of production plantations as well asfrom other sources. However, nearly 70% of domestic wood
supply is of small-sized logs and is used to produce woodchips, reconstituted boards and pellets.
Imported wood material includes sawnwood, logs and veneer
shipped from the EU, United States, China and Africa.
Sawnwood is the main category and accounted for around
45% of all wood imports in 2023, followed by round wood
(27.7%) and veneer (12%).
In the first 11 months of 2023, imports of sawnwood
and logs from Africa totalled 675 040 cubic metres, down
43% in volume compared to the same period in 2022. For
2023, imports of sawnwood and logs from Cameroon were
391 480 cubic metres, down 29.5%. Imports from Angola were
49 530 cubic metres, down 13.3% (Table 7). Tali remained
the top imported sawnwood from Africa at 154 040 cubic
metres, but the volume was down 12% year-on-year.
Most imported tropical timber is for the domestic market andin 2023 there was a decline in domestic wood consumption,
primarily due to a downturn in the real estate sector. Overthe past few years Viet Nam has been reinforcing its control
over tropical hardwood imports to assure legality and thiswill likely impact the volume of tropical timber imports inthe coming years.
24 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

Stacked-up: A woodworking factory’s warehouse in Viet Nam.
Photo: T. Yanuariadi/ITTO

Sawnwood andlogs cu.m

YoY% change

Cameroon

391 480−30

Angola49 534−13

South Africa

42 214−45

DRC

37 717−60

Nigeria

29 209−83

Ghana

14 227−36

Gabon

28 472−56

Namibia

13 198−14

Equatorial Guinea

10 757−65

Sierra Leone

10 295

127

Mozambique

8 568

−36

Kenya

6 940

−68

Cote d’Ivoire

2 362

30

Tanzania

239−69

Data source: Customs, Viet Nam (DRC stands for Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Investment powers economic growth, helps drive down
poverty and is indispensable for tackling climate change andachieving other key development goals. The World Bank
suggests “without further policy action investment growth inthese economies is likely to remain tepid for the remainderof this decade.”2

2 www.worldbank.org/en/publication/global-economic-prospects

Global Legal and Sustainable Timber Forum 2024
Recent developments have underlined the need forthe timber industry to intensify collaboration among
stakeholders including producers, buyers, processors
and market players both nationally and internationally.
The industry must address supply chain issues left by
the COVID-19 pandemic and other uncertainties andbridge the widening gap between demand and supply forwood products. Building a collaborative platform for thepromotion of legal and sustainable timber supply chainscan play an important role in sustaining and enhancing
cooperation and the exchange of views and information.
As part of ITTO’s Legal and Sustainable Supply Chain(LSSC) Programme, the Organization and the Commerceand Investment Promotion Institute, Macao SAR (IPIM)
have entered into a collaborative framework agreement toco-host annually the Global Legal and Sustainable Timber
Forum (GLSTF) to accelerate the pursuit of this goal.
The inaugural Forum, GLSTF 2023, was held in November
2023 in Macao SAR, China, in collaboration with the
Global Green Supply Chains Initiative (GGSC). GLSTF
2023 brought together nearly 700 participants from 36
countries. GLSTF 2024 has now been scheduled to takeplace in September 2024.

Objective
GLSTF 2024 aims is to increase networking, collaboration
and business exchange among timber industry stakeholders
with a view to promoting sustainable forest management,
creating legal and sustainable wood product supply chains,facilitating the legal and sustainable use and trade of wood
products in a stable, transparent and predictable businessenvironment, and contributing to sustainable development
and climate-change mitigation.

Date and venue
GLSTF 2024 is scheduled to be held on 11–12 September
2024 at the MGM COTAI resort, Macao SAR, China.

Co-hosts and organizer
The Forum will be co-hosted by ITTO and Macao IPIM
and organized by the GGSC Secretariat. Specialized subforums will be co-organized by partner agencies; ITTO,
IPIM and the GGSC Secretariat may also organize subforums.

Forum structure
Like the inaugural event, GLSTF 2024 will have twocomponents:
1) Th e Global Legal and Sustainable Timber Forum(main forum)

Theme and topics
The theme of GLSTF 2024 will be “Together Towards Reliable
and Effective Global Timber Supply Chains”.
The main forum will discuss topics related to reliable andstable timber resource supplies, trust and effectiveness along
timber supply chains, and prospects for revitalizing global
timber supply chains.
Specialized sub-forums organized by partner agencies willcontribute to the theme, with selected topics related to timber
legality and sustainability; sustainable timber resources,
markets and trade; advanced technology and machinery
for wood processing; and green finance and innovative
facilitating measures.

Legal and sustainable timberindustry exhibition
A legal and sustainable timber industry exhibition will beorganized in parallel with GLSTF 2024 with around 30 booths.

Other events and activities
The achievements of initiatives including the Global Timber
Index and work to create blockchain-based timber tracking
systems will be presented at GLSTF 2024. Other activities
and side-events, such as B2B matchings, will be arranged
accordingly.

Participants
GLSTF 2024 is expected to attract around 700 representativesof stakeholders including wood enterprises and trading
companies, industrial and business associations, governments,
international organizations and research institutions.

Languages
The Forum will feature simultaneous interpretation in
Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Registration and further information
To register to attend GLSTF 2004, go to https://en.glstf.net/
reg/reg-step1-en.php
Details about the Forum, including its agenda as wellas accommodation and travel arrangements, are available
at: https://en.glstf.net/
You can also contact: ITTO Mr Li Qiang at li@itto.int;
IPIM Mr Steve Chan at pcel@ipim.gov.mo; or GGSC
Secretariat Ms Gao Xuting at gaoxuting@itto-ggsc.org.

2) Four specialized sub-forums

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 25

Tropical and topical
ITTO participates in 2024 IUFRO World Congress

Tropical forest loss declined in 2023

ITTO actively participated at the 2024 World Congress of theInternational Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO),
which took place in Stockholm, Sweden during the last week of June.

Tropical forest loss declined last year, but other indicators show thatthe world’s woodlands remain under tremendous pressure, Reutersnews agency reported, citing an analysis by the Global Forest Watch
monitoring project.

Officers of the Organization took part in sessions and events on
subjects including: scaling up the exchange between forest scienceand business; innovation to maximize the contribution of tropicalforests to sustainable development; the outlook for green jobs insustainable forestry; and sustainable teak forest management andteakwood supply chains and trade.
ITTO also had a booth at the event.
For more details of ITTO activities at the congress see the following
stories available at www.itto.int/top_stories:• Increased investment is key for stronger linkages between forest
science and businesses say experts• Innovation is lifting tropical forestry’s contribution to global
sustainable development, says ITTO
• New training and business models creating green forestry jobs
in “the sustainability era”, ITTO says
• ITTO-supported drive for sustainable teak in focus at IUFRO congress
Watch an interview with ITTO Projects Manager Tetra Yanuariadi
on “Scaling up the Exchange Between Forest Science and Business”
on IUFRO TV at: https://youtu.be/bz3DOYWcuko

Brazilian police raid Amazon carbon credit projects
Brazilian police have arrested several people and seized assets linked
to some of the country’s largest carbon credit projects, Mongabayreported. The group is reportedly suspected of involvement in landgrabbing and timber laundering crimes in the Amazon for morethan a decade and of earning USD 34 million from selling “rotten”
carbon credits.
Mongabay, which published an investigation into the REDD+ projects
in May, said authorities and experts hope the revelations will lead tostricter regulation of the Brazilian carbon market. Buyers of credits
from the projects under investigation reportedly include Toshiba,
Spotify and Boeing.
Read the full story: https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/brazilianinvestigators-raid-amazon-carbon-credit-projects-exposed-bymongabay/

ITTO to revise fire management guidelines
ITTO is updating its fire management guidelines for tropical forests
to address the rising risk of fires due to climate change and land-usepressures. The revision is a collaborative effort with the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and otherpartners to promote integrated fire management.
In a statement delivered at an FAO meeting in May, ITTO
emphasized its dedication to investing in and supporting capacity
building for fire management among its members and highlighted
its commitment to the effectiveness of the Global Fire Management
Hub, which supports communities and countries to implement
integrated fire management.
Read the full story: www.itto.int/news/2024/05/31/itto_to_revise_fire_
management_guidelines_executive_director_tells_fire_hub_meeting/

26 ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2

The loss of primary forests in the tropics declined 9 percent lastyear compared to 2022, but still amounted to about 37 000 square
kilometers, an area nearly as big as Switzerland.
Declining forest loss in Brazil and Colombia, where new politicalleaders strengthened conservation policies, was largely offset bygreater losses in other countries, including Bolivia. Deforestation
globally rose 3.2 percent in 2023.
Read the full story: www.reuters.com/world/tropical-forest-loss-eased2023-threats-remain-analysis-shows-2024-04-04/

US joins calls for EU to delay new deforestation
regulation
The US government has joined growing calls for the European
Commission to delay the implementation of the new European
Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
In a May letter to the Commission, senior US officials said there were“significant challenges for US producers to comply” with the regulation,
which applies to a range of commodities including palm oil and beef
as well as timber and is due to enter force from 30 December 2024,
Argus Media and other news channels reported.
US concern focused on information systems for producers to submit
due diligence documentation; guidance on the traceability system;
the designation of EU national enforcement authorities; and theclassification of countries into risk categories.
A Commission spokesperson said it was “working hard to ensure all
the conditions are met for smooth implementation of the law” while
keeping the situation “under constant review”.
Tropical timber producer countries, European trade organizations
and lawmakers in several European Union member states have also
reportedly called for the EUDR to be delayed or revised.
Read the full story in the ITTO Tropical Timber Market Report for
16–30 June 2024, page 24 at: www.itto.int/direct/topics/topics_pdf_
download/topics_id=7904&no=1

Poachers may have killed one-third of all Javan rhinos
An investigation into the poaching of rhinos on the Indonesia islandof Java suggests as many as 26 of the critically endangered animals,
out of a total population of around 70, may have been killed bypoachers since 2019, Mongabay reported.
Police in Indonesia have arrested 13 alleged members of two gangs
responsible for the poaching spree in Ujung Kulon National Park, thelast refuge for Javan rhinos. Two other men, charged with trafficking
the horns, revealed they were destined for China, and authorities areaware of at least two Chinese nationals who may be involved, thereport said.
Read the full story: https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/poachersclaim-to-have-killed-one-third-of-all-javan-rhinos-indonesian-police-say/Recent editions  
ITTO and GGSC. 2024. GTIWoodbased Panel (GTI-WBP)
Report. International Tropical
Timber Organization (ITTO).
Yokahama, Japan.
ITTO and GGSC. 2024. GTIProducers Report. International
Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).
Yokahama, Japan.
Available at: www.itto.int/gti/
The Global Timber Index (GTI), which
tracks the performance of the timber sector
in seven pilot countries, recently launchedspecialized monthly indexes on wood-based panels – the GTI-WBT Report – andon timber production – GTI-Producers Report – to further increase the scope anddepth of the ITTO-supported GTI initiative.
D’Annunzio, R., O’Brien, V., Arnell, A.,
Neeff, T., Fontanarosa, R., Valbuena
Perez, P., Shapiro, A.C., SanchezPaus Díaz, A., Merle, C., Vega, J.
and Fox, J. 2024. Towards a digitalpublic infrastructure for deforestationrelated trade regulations - What isin that plot? (Whisp) solution to
implement convergence of evidence.
Rome, FAO.
Available at: https://openknowledge.fao.
org/items/e9284dc7-4b19-4f9c-b3e1e6c142585865
This publication reviews how the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) drives the developmentof a pre-competitive digital public infrastructure to support compliance on aspectsof the trade regulations related to forest monitoring. It is a collaborative effort
between partners and programmes such as the European Union’s Team Europe
Initiative (TEI), the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests programme(AIM4Forests) and the Forest Data Partnership (FDaP) working with the AgStack
Foundation. This joint effort aims to support smallholders by enabling ongoing
access to regulated markets through open-source solutions designed to bridge
crucial digital gaps.
Kollert, W., Sandeep, S.
and Sreelakshmy, M.P. 2024.
Global Teak Resources and Market
Assessment 2022. IUFRO World SeriesVol. 44. International Union of Forest
Research Organizations (IUFRO).
Vienna, Austria.

Kleinschmit, D., Wildburger, C.,
Grima, N. and Fisher, B. (eds.). 2024.
International Forest Governance: A
Critical Review of Trends, Drawbacks,
and New Approaches. IUFRO World
Series Volume 43. Vienna, Austria.
ISBN 978-3-903345-25-6
Available at: www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/publications/iufro-series/ws43.pdf
This publication revisits a 2010 IUFRO reporton the international forest regime. Since then,forest governance complexity has surged,
with new programmes and arrangements emerging at all scales, leading to unclear
interactions, synergies, and trade-offs. Global discussions and negotiations onforests continue to impact forests and human livelihoods, requiring a thoroughscientific review of the current state of international forest governance. The newreport includes updates on governance changes, an overview of forest-related
finance, an analysis of current discourses, and a review of different governancedesigns, including their deficits and alternatives.
Nelson, C.R., Hallett, J.G., Romero
Montoya, A.E., Andrade, A., Besacier,C., Boerger, V., Bouazza, K., et al.
2024. Standards of practice to guideecosystem restoration – A contribution
to the United Nations Decade on
Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030.
Rome, FAO, Washington, DC, SER
and Gland, Switzerland, IUCN CEM.
ISBN 978-92-5-138471-8
Available at: www.cifor-icraf.org/
knowledge/publication/9084/
The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem
Restoration 2021–2030 aims to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation andrecover biodiversity and ecosystem integrity; enhance human health and well-being,
including sustainable delivery of ecosystem goods and services; and mitigate
climate change. To create a shared vision of ecosystem restoration, UN Decade
partners, through a consultative process, launched ten principles for achieving
the highest level of recovery possible through restoration projects. To facilitate
application of these principles and thereby maximize restoration outcomes fornature and people, the standards of practice to guide ecosystem restoration
provide key recommendations for all phases and types of restoration projects.
UNECE, FAO. 2024. Reporting onforest damages and disturbancesin the UNECE region. United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe(UNECE), Geneva, Switzerland.

ISBN: 978-3-903345-27-0

ISBN 978-92-1-003015-1

Available at: www.iufro.org/science/special/
spdc/netw/gtr/

Available at: https://unece.org/sites/
default/files/2024-05/ECE_TIM_
SP_57E_2326208WEB_0.pdf

This update on teak resources and markets
has been carried out with the support of theInternational Union of Forest Research Organizations network of scientists, andexperts from the TEAKNET teak information network. It shows that, since a similarassessment in 2010, the area of natural and planted teak forests and the harvestof teak logs have increased, and that teak’s share of the global timber market is
growing. The report is an essential and unrivalled reference for assessing country
situations and trends, which are further explored in profiles of major teak-producing
countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

This publication addresses the escalating
frequency and severity of wildfires, storms,
and pest outbreaks that have increasingly
threatened global forests due to accelerated
climate changes and human impacts. While forest disturbance has always been aconcern, recent decades have seen a heightened need for accurate monitoring andreporting of damage due to forests’ critical roles as carbon sinks and biodiversity
reservoirs. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have collaborated to compile
this publication, emphasizing the importance of harmonized methodologies andadvanced technologies like remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and machinelearning in assessing forest damage.

ITTO Tropical Forest Update 33/2 27

Meetings
ITTO meetings
11–12 September 2024
Global Legal and Sustainable Timber Forum 2024: “Together
Towards Reliable and Effective Global Timber Supply Chains”
Macao SAR, China
The forum aims to increase networking, collaboration and businessexchange among timber industry stakeholders—producers, buyers,
processors and market players—with a view to strengthening
sustainable forest management, enhancing the uptake of legal andsustainable wood products supply chains, facilitating the legal andsustainable use and trade of wood products in a stable, transparent
and predictable business environment, and contributing to sustainable
development and climate-change mitigation. See full announcementon page 25.
More: www.itto.int/events/2024/09/12/global_legal_and_sustainable_timber_forum_2024/
1–6 December 2024
60th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council
and Sessions of the Associated Committees
Yokohama, JapanThe International Tropical Timber Council is ITTO’s governing body.
It meets once a year to discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed atpromoting sustainable tropical forest management and the trade ofsustainably produced tropical timber. Council sessions are open to
official delegates and accredited observers.
More: www.itto.int/events/2024/12/06/60th_session_of_the_international_tropical_timber_council_and_sessions_of_the_associated_committees/
17–20 September 2025
5th World Teak Conference: “Sustainable Developmentof the Global Teak Sector – Adapting to Future Markets
and Environments”
Cochin, India
Organized by ITTO along with the International Teak Information
Network (TEAKNET), Kerala Forest Research Institute, International
Union of Forest Research Organizations and Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, the conference brings together
researchers, students, entrepreneurs and forestry sector professionals
to build networks and share knowledge, including on the latest
technological developments and market trends in the sector. The fifth
edition of the conference is structured around the theme of “Sustainable
Development of the Global Teak Sector – Adapting to Future Markets
and Environments”
More: www.worldteakconference2025.com

Note that all meetings are subject to change or cancellation.
Please check the contact addresses for the latest information.

Other meetings
6–7 September 2024
Future Forest Forum 2024
Blankenburg, Germany
More: www.futureforest.de/en/home
8–13 September 2024
11th Meeting of the IUFROWorking Party 7.02.09:“Phytophthora in Forests
and Natural Ecosystems”
Paihia, New ZealandMore: www.scienceevents.co.nz/
iufro2024
10-14 September 2024
10th Pacific Regional
Wood Anatomy Conference(10th PRWAC)
Asahikawa, Japan
More: www.prwac2024.org/
17–21 September 2024
23rd International
Nondestructive Testingand Evaluation of Wood
SymposiumSão Paulo, Brazil
More: www.ndtesymposium.org/
18–20 September 2024
FORESTRISE 2024
Tokyo, Japan
More: www.forestrise.jp/2024/
index_e.html
20–23 September 2024
United Nations Summitof the Future
New York, United States of America
More: www.un.org/en/
summit-of-the-future

16–17 October 2024
EGURTEK 2024 –International Forumof Architecture andConstruction in Wood
Bilbao, Spain
More: https://egurtek.
bilbaoexhibitioncentre.com/en/
21 October 2024–
1 November 2024
Sixteenth meeting of theConference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD COP16)
Cali, Colombia
More: www.cbd.int/
conferences/2024
11–22 November 2024
2024 UN Climate Change
Conference (UNFCCC COP29)
Baku, Azerbaijan
More: https://unfccc.int/cop29
20–21 and 26–27
November 2024
ForestTECH 2024
Rotorua, New Zealand/Virtual
Event; Melbourne, Australia
More: https://innovatek.co.nz/
event/foresttech-2024/
2–13 December 2024
Sixteenth session of theConference of the Parties
to the United Nations
Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD
COP16)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
More: www.unccd.int/cop16

7–8 October 2024
Hamburg Sustainability
Conference
Hamburg, Germany
More: www.sustainabilityconference.org/en/

ITTO provides this list of international meetings as a public service
and is not responsible for changes in date or venue or for other errors.

17–21 March 2025
IUFRO Unit 1.01.04
conference: “Achieving
forest establishment successat scale to address climate,environmental, socialand economic challenges
around the world”
Rotorua, New ZealandMore: www.iufro.org/science/
divisions/division-1/10000/10100/10104/
8–9 April 2025
Forest Bioeconomy 2025
Rotorua, New ZealandMore: https://innovatek.co.nz/
event/forest-bioeconomy-2025/
5–9 May 2025
20th session of the UN
Forum on Forests (UNFF20)
New York, United States of America
More: www.un.org/esa/forests/
events/20th-session-of-the-unforum-on-forests-unff20/index.html
8–12 December 2025
Seventh session of
the UN Environment
Assembly (UNEA-7)
Nairobi, Kenya
More: www.un.org/esa/forests/
events/seventh-session-of-theun-environment-assemblyunea-7/index.html
5−11 August 2029
27th IUFRO World Congress
Nairobi, Kenya
More: www.kefri.org/
components/iufro2029/
iufro2029.html