Project/activity information

The meeting was convened in August 1993. More than 60 registered participants from industry,
government, academia, and support staff attended the meeting. Motivation and expectation was quite high. Workshop discussions were lively, constructive and technical. All of the project objectives were adequately addressed. Fundamental challenges to Central American forest industry development remain in the areas of management, financing, development policies and access to market information.

Summary of recommendations from the conference: (i) Promote larger projects to promote region-wide forest management; (ii) Strengthen efforts towards formation of a Central American Forest Service; (iii) Provide financial and moral support to the next regional meeting of industry representatives; (iv) Support efforts to develop a system of standards for the industry; (v) Develop entrepreneurial and professional interchange; (vi) Create one chamber or syndicate of Central American Forest Industrialists; (vii) Create one association of the professional foresters of Central America; (viii) Create a system to certify forest products; (ix) Establish an agency to finance forest industry development in Central America; (x) Establish other mechanisms to promote regional integration and cooperation on forest industry development.