The ITTO guidelines for the sustainable management of natural and planted tropical forests

Abstract

Rapid development of the global economy during the past 50 years has lead to non-sustainable exploitation of human and natural resources. The timber resources of the tropical and boreal forests are being recklessly and blatantly plundered. Tropical forests in particular are being cleared much in excess of the requirements of orderly and sustainable economic development.

In timber logging or slash-and-burn agriculture, social costs by far exceed the private and public benefits. Present practices of timber logging and trading are wasteful and destructive. Total costs substantially exceed values generated. The national social balances of the tropical timber business are negative. In response, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) prepared or is preparing the following guidelines:

• ITTO Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Natural Tropical Forests, 1990;

• ITTO Guidelines for the Establishment and Sustainable Management of Planted Tropical Forests, 1991;

• Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management;

• ITTO Guidelines for the Conservation of Biological Diversity in Tropical Production Forests (in prep.) in cooperation with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN;

• Manuals to facilitate application in practice.

Successful application depends primarily on the political will and determination to change from predatory exploitation to wise use and sustainable utilization and conservation of natural resources.