Sustainability: The Panacea for Our Forestry Ills?

Abstract

Fewer than one tenth of tropical forests are being managed on a sustainable basis. Sustainable forest management means managing the forest in such a way as to not irreversibly reduce the potential of that forest to produce all products in subsequent harvests. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio resulted in several decisions that are relevant to the future of forestry. The Conference also focused world attention on questions of the environment. One outcome of this increased awareness has been the growing support for eco-labelling, which may provide an opportunity for those countries able to prove their forest products are harvested sustainably. Other economic opportunities present themselves in the utilization for cellulose of tree crops such as rubberwood and oil palm trunks and fronds. Non-wood resources such as rattan also hold promise if we are able to grow them in conjunction with existing tree crops. The roles of tropical forests as carbon sinks require more in-depth study as does the question of what constitutes critical levels of biodiversity. Aesthetic values such as recreational use increasingly require that sufficient buffer zones of unique features be preserved. These challenges demand that the forestry profession becomes more proactive and support major policy changes to address the need for sustainable forest management.