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ChinaThe Challenge
China's manufacturing sector consumes nearly one out of every two tropical trees that are harvested in the world. Yet the country has been forced to prohibit logging in its own state forests in order to help control flooding in downstream agricultural valleys. In the seven years since the logging ban enacted by the government went into effect, China has tripled the amount of wood and pulp imported from Southeast Asia and Siberia, increasing pressure on biologically rich habitats in those regions where illegal logging is already endangering vast forest areas. To continue servicing its factories while alleviating pressure on tropical forests abroad, China is looking to find sustainable ways to resume logging in state forests, while maintaining wildlife habitat and controlling flooding and erosion within its own borders. In collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, the Chinese Academy of Forestry and others, the Rainforest Alliance is promoting Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management certification in China by educating foresters and stakeholders from a network of partner organizations and target audiences on the principles of FSC certification, then provide key experts with the training, tools and materials to reproduce our workshops, to create an exponential level of sustainable forestry awareness. A Global Gem
China's temperate and tropical forests are some of the most biologically diverse in the world, harboring the endangered giant panda, Asiatic elephant, South China tiger and snow leopard. The country is also home to over 1.3 billion people, who contribute to the global demand for wood and paper products. A 2005 Greenpeace report asserts that China is by far the world's leading driver of rainforest destruction. With only 17% of its area currently forested, the remaining tracts, mostly on mountaintops, are indispensable in regulating water flow to lowland agricultural fields. The country has suffered the acute consequences of widespread deforestation. Where the mountains have lost their forests, the downstream results have been devastating. In 1998, over 2,500 lives were lost as disastrous floods decimated entire towns and villages, prompting a government ban on commercial logging of natural forests in seventeen provinces. While intended to conserve landscapes, the ban has created hardship for families whose livelihoods depend on logging. Local communities still practice subsistence gathering from the forests, including fuel wood, fruits and medicinal plants. A Redoubled Effort To stem the loss of forest cover, the Chinese government is modeling its forest policy toward sustainable management. Forest certification has been taken as an effective market instrument to promote sustainable forest management in China. The FSC is an international accreditation body that sets standards for sustainable forestry practices, around the world. The Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program is the leading FSC certifier. With the help of the Rainforest Alliance and funding from IKEA, more than 2000 Chinese forestry professionals will receive sustainable forest management education over the next three years.
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