Putting the pieces together

Sustainable forestry has much to offer at all scales, from the household to the planetary. Certain non-renewable resources will become scarcer in coming decades, but the demand for materials is likely to continue to escalate. There could be a resources crunch—but forestry can help avert this while also providing crucial environmental services.

In this edition, ITTO Executive Director Dr Gerhard Dieterle (page 3) sets out his argument for viewing forest products in the same way as food—that is, as essential commodities. The world is going to need a greatly increased supply of forest products in coming decades, including as substitutes for non-renewable materials and fossil energy. Dr Dieterle believes this need can be harnessed by demand-side measures to incentivize forest producers to manage their forests sustainably. ITTO is well placed, he says, to assist its member countries in this, given its broad experience in field projects and its long-running role in policy development.