Report finds forest enterprises stifled by red tape, putting forests, incomes at risk

A new study reports that community forest enterprises represent an invisible investment of US$2.5 billion in management and conservation in some of the planet’s richest forest habitats. This is more than governments in tropical regions spend directly on forest conservation. However, these enterprises are being side-lined in the international forestry arena, putting forests at risk the world over. The report was commissioned by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), an intergovernmental NGO based in Yokohama, Japan. The report was released today at a conference in the capital of Acre, one of eight states that comprise the Brazilian Amazon.