Shout Out for the Forest

Nine-time Olympic gold medallist and UN advocate Carl Lewis will embark tomorrow, June 10^th, on a visit to the Dominican Republic and Haiti to meet national leaders and visit forestry and agricultural projects. He will highlight the International Year of Forests as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) “http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/ambassadors/ambassadors/ambassadors-carllewis/en/“

In February the UN kicked off a year-long celebration to raise awareness of the role of forests, on which at least 1.6 billion people depend for their daily needs for work and survival.

Mr. Lewis will also spotlight a global campaign by FAO to end hunger known as “The 1billionhungry project.” People can voice their outrage about world hunger by adding their names to a petition online  1billionhungry.org The campaign uses a yellow whistle as an icon encouraging people to “blow the whistle” on this global scourge.

Mr. Lewis will see an FAO project aimed at stabilizing the soil and forests in the mountains near the epicentre of the devastating January 2010 earthquake. Haiti is one of the most deforested countries in the world with only 2 per cent of forest cover left. This makes it extremely vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.

To mark World Environment Day on June 5^th,  UN agencies UNIDO (Industrial Development) and UNEP (Environment), presented a most informative panel on Green Economy: Ecosystem Services and Resource Efficiency with Special Focus on Forests and Forest Industries. It stressed the need for all countries to make the changes so as to shift to a green industry.

Forest industries play a special role in this shift. We must protect and preserve our forests. They hold 50% of the global species and cover 1/3 of the Earth’s landmass. Forests reduce the negative effects of carbon emissions and natural disasters. The panel stressed the importance of resource efficiency. They defined resource efficiency as sustainable management of resources throughout the resources lifecycle. It means getting more value from fewer materials – doing more with less!

Each speaker’s message called for responsible use of the forests. If we manage forests responsibly, both our environment and our people will be winners. Currently, trade in timber and non-timber forest products generates billions of dollars in revenue. With better conservation, we can create new industries and generate revenues. Targeted investments in forests could generate about 10 million jobs. The international community, governments, and businesses can create incentives to maintain and invest in forests.

Janardhan Plywood Limited, an Indian company, has shown resource efficiency in processing wood. Janardhan worked with local farmers to grow sustainable plantation timber and to leave old-growth forests intact. The company further optimized resource efficiency by minimizing waste, innovating costs, and saving energy. This process benefited farmers, conserved large quantities of forest, and influenced other Indian companies to follow its successful model.

The nation of Costa Rica has adopted creative measures to reverse the degradation of its forests. In 1940, forests covered over 75% of Costa Rica. By 1987, this had dropped to only 25%. Action by the government has enabled Costa Rica to restore forest coverage to 51%. It also imposed a 3.5% fuel tax, and promotes ecotourism and environmental services. It is surely no coincidence that Costa Rica’s concern to protect the environment follows an earlier decision to abolish its military and to enshrine this abolition in the Costa Rican Constitution. The government plans to make the country carbon neutral by 2021. The rest of the world would do well to learn from this small nation.

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