Bolivia Celebrates Status as World Leader in Natural Tropical Forest Certification

October 12, 2005

On October 7, Bolivia celebrated its status as the world leader in the certification of natural tropical forest, with more than 5 million acres under certification (Brazil leads the world in tropical forest certification but Bolivia leads the globe in natural tropical forest).

Bolivia's main celebrations took place in Santa Cruz with a host of events involving government authorities, certified wood product businesses, as well as other national and international organizations related to the forestry sector. This is a significant achievement for Bolivia, because the international certified wood market is an important and growing source of jobs and export earnings.

Bolivia, almost as large as California and Texas combined, is one of the least developed Latin American countries. It is rich in biodiversity, however, and has 130 million acres of rich, expansive forests — more tree cover than all the countries of Central America and Mexico have between them. The forests are highly threatened by indiscriminate, illegal logging.

The Bolivia Sustainable Forest Management Project (known as BOLFOR) was launched in 1993 by the U.S. Agency for International Development to help curtail this threat by promoting a market-based solution to encourage legal logging and discourage illegal practices. BOLFOR focuses on conservation and socioeconomic development through certification, a conservation tool that provides consumers with an internationally recognized guarantee that forest products come from responsibly managed forest. Exports of Bolivian forest products do not compete directly with American forest products, because they are from tropical woods not grown in the U.S.

In 2003, USAID selected The Nature Conservancy to coordinate the second phase of the project, known as BOLFOR II. Through BOLFOR II, the Conservancy is supporting the certification of natural tropical forest — directly in its financial support to the Bolivian Council for Voluntary Forest Certification, and indirectly through work promoting sustainable forest management and exports of Bolivian certified lumber and wood products. By opening markets and helping boost global awareness of the exporters of certified wood, BOLFOR II is also strengthening the supply of and demand for legally harvested and certified timber and products made from it, including lawn furniture, flooring and doors, destined for markets in European and United States.

BOLFOR II also empowers communities to sustainably manage their forests, creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities in community-managed forests, including many run by indigenous communities. One unanticipated benefit of BOLFOR II is that women are playing an increasing role in running the community forestry enterprises, enhancing the women’s status and leading to improved incomes for their families. All this while helping conserve Bolivia's forests.

For More Information:

• Where We Work: The Nature Conservancy in Bolivia
  With 130 million acres of forests, Bolivia has more tree cover than Central America and Mexico combined.
• How We Work: BOLFOR II: Bolivian Sustainable Forest Management Project
  BOLFOR II focuses on conservation and socioeconomic development through certification, a conservation tool that provides consumers with an internationally recognized guarantee that forest products come from responsibly managed forest.
• Healthy Communities: Women and Sustainable Forestry Management
  The Nature Conservancy’s experience developing conservation strategies has found that understanding the socio-economic context of where it works helps ensure that conservation work is sustainable.
• Press Release: Bolivia to Celebrate Status as World Leader in Natural Tropical Forest Certification
  On October 7, Bolivia will celebrate its status as the world leader in the certification of natural tropical forest, with over 5 million acres under certification.
• Our Partners: Bolivia Sustainable Forest Management Project (BOLFOR), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Archive of our Saves of the Week and Success Stories
  Read more about The Nature Conservancy's work to save the last great places on Earth.