Forest Concessions in Peru

Abstract

Early this century, Peru changed its forest policy moving toward sustainable forest management. The new forest system is based on forest concessions focusing on the promotion of small- and medium-sized timber extractors within a competitive market. The concession design as far as legal and technical aspects are concerned can be considered as solid ground to work on. Regardless, implementation is still not concluded and most of the forest concessionaires face serious financial problems. The role of the Peruvian State as a promoter for sustainable forest management and facilitator to build up a competitive forest sector has not prospered by now. Consequently, the most important question to be answered is whether the changes to forest law and the subsequent introduction of forest concessions in Peru were an appropriate measure to accomplish the unfulfilled challenge to lay groundwork for a sustainable rural development in the Peruvian Amazon Basin.