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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:41 pm
Time: 10:41 pm
Results for illegal trade (forest products)
1 results foundAuthor: Tacconi, Luca Title: National and International Policies to Control Illegal Forest Activities Summary: The purpose of this study is to critically examine the range of national and international policy options available to reduce illegal forest activities. Illegal forest activities include a broad array of legal violations that range from violating ownership and use rights to engaging in corrupt relationships. They also may span activities at all stages of the forest production chain, from the acquisition of authorizations, to planning, to harvesting and transport of raw material and finished products, to financial management. Illegal forest activities pose a significant threat to the sustainability of forest ecosystems, result in losses of government revenues, foster a vicious cycle of bad governance, and may contribute to increased poverty and social conflict. As such, they have received considerable attention from the international community, particularly in recent years. Yet, significant gaps still exist both in the identification and evaluation of policy responses and in linking such responses to critical development priorities such as improved governance, improved livelihoods for the rural poor, environmental protection, sustainable forest management (SFM), and economic development. As such, the current debate on illegal forest activities has yet to recognize fully the broader implications of some options for such priorities. In this study we provide a framework for addressing these issues and to narrow these gaps. We present an overview of the symptomatic manifestations of illegal forest activities: Forest products generated in violation of government policies represent a very significant fraction of total production and may amount to 10-15 billion dollars in lost government revenues. We then provide a simple framework to understand the problem. In this framework we lay out that profit and income maximization are key aspects of the economic behavior of firms and individuals. Illegal behavior is more likely when the benefits derived from violating the law (e.g., timber mining, tax evasion, harvesting protected species or in unauthorized areas) exceed the costs of non-compliance. In large part, the policy options that are listed in the report consist of measures that reduce the economic rewards from illegal behavior, either by increasing the rewards of compliance, or by increasing the costs of non-compliance. Potential underlying market, governance and institutional causes of illegal forest activities, as well as capacity and technical factors are identified. We do so by first relying on the lessons learned from efforts to promote SFM over the past two decades. There are several reasons for doing so and particularly the fact that efforts to promote SFM and to reduce illegal forest activities are motivated by similar goals and challenges. These lessons learned from SFM experiences are then integrated with knowledge and insights gained from recent developments in our understanding of good forest governance to develop an array of possible policy responses by producer and consumer countries. An analysis of existing trade and environmental agreements, their lessons, and potential relevance to addressing illegal forest activities is presented. An analysis of trade data shows that Asian producer countries export mainly to other Asian countries, whereas African countries export mostly to Europe. Therefore, trade measures adopted by Asian consumer countries are most likely to have an impact on illegal trade and illegal logging in Asia (with the exception of China that imports from Africa as well). Trade measures implemented by European countries are most likely to be effective on illegal trade and illegal logging in Africa. The report concludes by presenting principles, criteria, and initial sequencing steps to aid the development of appropriate policy options to reduce illegal forest activities. Details: Jakarta, Indonesia: Center for International Forestry Research, 2003. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2011 at: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/publications/pdf_files/events/Illegal-logging.pdf Year: 2003 Country: International URL: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/publications/pdf_files/events/Illegal-logging.pdf Shelf Number: 120568 Keywords: Illegal LoggingIllegal Trade (Forest Products)Offenses Against the Environment |