Ritsumeikan University invited ITTO to Biwako Campus
2025/11/26
ITTO representatives outlined how ITTO is trailblazing the path forward towards sustainable forest management in the world’s tropics. © ITTO
The Faculty of Economics of Ritsumeikan University’s Biwako campus invited ITTO Communications & Outreach Officer Paula Sarigumba and Statistical Assistant Jean Claudon on 19 November 2025 to share ITTO’s work on sustainable forest management in tropical regions.
ITTO Communications & Outreach Officer Paula Sarigumba and Statistical Assistant Jean Claudon with Ritsumeikan Professors Soukavanh Vixathep and Tokumaru Natsuka. © ITTO
Speaking to the students of Professors Tokumaru Natsuka and Souksavanh Vixathep, as part of the university’s Global and Active Learning Program, Ms Sarigumba and Mr Claudon introduced ITTO’s mandate, its role in fostering international cooperation, and its efforts to advance climate action and expand sustainable tropical timber trade.
Ms Sarigumba highlighted ITTO’s origins, governance, and initiatives supporting sustainable forest management, livelihoods and community well-being, biodiversity conservation, and responsible wood use. Mr Claudon discussed forest types, the goods and services they provide, and how ITTO balances timber production by promoting sustainable forest management. He also emphasized the importance of data and statistics through tools such as the ITTO Market Intelligence Service and the 2023–2024 Biennial Review. The presentation concluded with a challenge for students to value forest ecosystems more holistically and consider the role of sustainable wood in their lives.