Committed to international communication
IFFA is committed to the development and implementation of international communication strategies.
This was the main message when IFFA chair Peter deMarsh addressed the United Nations Forum on forests. The 13th session of the forum was held in New York 7 to 11 May 2018.
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-IFFA is committed to international communication and can demonstrate that sustainable forest management increase wood production, biodiversity and water conservation. |
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| IFFA Char Peter deMarsh addressing UNFF 13 |
We invite members states and the Forum of Forests to take advantage of the asset of family forestry. We invite you to seek the engagement of family, community and indigenous peoples’ organisations when you carry out communication strategies in your countries and internationally, Peter deMarsh continued.
In many countries our forests are the ones closest to the cities. We can demonstrate how deeply we care for our forests and how hard we work to look after them. We can demonstrate how our small-scale sustainable forest management is interdependent with increase timber production and increasing biodiversity and water conservation, Peter deMarsh said.
We are all familiar with misunderstanding of basic forestry concepts by non-foresters, concepts that all of us here take for granted. City people are less and less in touch with forested landscapes, have fewer opportunities to see and understand sustainable forest management work methods, and are increasingly suspicious about the sustainability of our practices.
One critical example is the role of forests in combating climate change. The suspicion and lack of basic understanding is especially clear in reactions to our claim that increased use of timber from sustainably managed forests is a very powerful tool of strategic importance.
Smallholder family forest owners, together with community and indigenous foresters can give a human face to sustainable forest management, Peter deMarsh said.
Read the short version statement
Ink to UNFF 13 documents and reports
Link to UNFF 13 Chair’s summary
