Publications

An Overview of the Market Chain for China’s Timber Product Imports from Myanmar

China’s annual timber product imports from Myanmar more than tripled between 1997 and 2002. Although imports from Myanmar comprise just over two percent of China’s total timber product imports, the nascent increase in logging activities along the Chinese border in Myanmar has been highly concentrated in natural forests in Myanmar’s northern Kachin State, and the […]

Markets for Biodiversity Services

Potential Roles and Challenges

In recent decades, several factors have stimulated those concerned with biodiversity conservation services to begin exploring new market-based instruments. The model of public finance for forest and biodiversity conservation is facing a crisis as the main sources of finance have stagnated, despite the recognition that much larger areas require protection.

Forest Products Trade Between Russia & China

Potential Production, Processing, Consumption and Trade Scenarios

This synthesis report depicts future trends in forest products processing, consumption and trade between China and its main suppliers, with a particular focus on Siberia and the Russian Far East. It is based on the findings of the International Forest and Forest Products (IFFP) trade model analysis completed by Northway & Bull 2007. The first […]

China Softwood-Log Commodity Chain and Livelihood Analysis

From the Russian Far East to China

China has rapidly become one of the world’s largest importers of wood. The volumes of logs, sawn wood, wood panels, and pulp and paper products shipped to China by producer countries in Southeast Asia, the Russian Far East (RFE), Siberia and other regions have grown especially sharply since China implemented a partial ban on logging […]

Illegal Forest Activities in the Asia Pacific Rim

Illegal forest activities within the Asia Pacific countries have generated a host of negative impacts on the economy, the poor, and the quality of forest management. It is in the interest of all of the stakeholders – from local communities to national politicians to logging companies to international donors – to work together to ensure […]

Payment Where It’s Due

The financing and management of natural protected areas has historically been seen as the responsibility of the public sector. However, budgets for government protection and management of forest ecosystem services are declining, as are those from overseas development assistance. At the same time, processes of devolution and decentralization are shifting public responsibility for nature protection, […]

Certification in Complex Socio-Political Settings

Looking forward to the Next Decade

There is little evidence of certification’s impact on checking illegal logging, corruption and other severe forest governance problems. This is not surprising since these problems derive from problems in the legal, regulatory and policy framework, and public respect for law and order – problems unlikely to be much affected by a market instrument (with a […]

Russian Logs in China

The Softwood Commodity Chain & Chinese Economic Development

This paper provides an overview of the commodity-chain process of Russian softwood logs once they enter China, focusing on softwood as the dominant forest products traded from Russia to China. The research then details the economic and social impacts of this trade on local Chinese economies and livelihoods.

Pacific Rim Initiative

A Coordinated Plan for Advancing Sustainable Forestry in the Pacific Rim

The forests of the Pacific Rim are critically important, in both global and local terms, are seriously threatened, and thus merit priority attention from conservationists, governments and private industry. Overall, policy and market failures, inappropriate government subsidies, non-discriminating investments and demand, illegal logging and trade, have all driven over-exploitation and inefficiency in the production and […]

Overview of the Forest Sector in the Russian Far East

Production, Industry and the Problem of Illegal Logging

Russia and China have been bound by long-standing ties since the middle of the 17th century, with mutual trade as an important aspect. It is natural that regions such as the Russian Far East (RFE) and Southeastern Siberia developed firm links with China, because they are the closest neighbors. These relations, particularly in the timber […]