On April 22, MegaFlorestais leaders from around the world gathered for the second conference of the network’s 2021 webinar series. Forest agency leaders from Mexico, Peru, Brazil, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo joined to discuss their experiences with concessions and illegal logging. Steve Gretzinger of Zak Forest Resources presented his findings from decades of international experience in rethinking forest concessions to reduce conflict between governments, investors, and communities who hold rights over forest landscapes. Following Steve’s presentation, León Jorge Castaños, the Director General of the Mexican National Forestry Commission, briefed his fellow MegaFlorestais leaders on Mexico’s longstanding programs to confront illegal logging and forest loss while supporting local economies. These presentations were followed by a rich discussion in which each agency agreed that making concessions work for all stakeholders has been challenging, despite a some success stories involving community-led concessions. It has become clear that the forest sector can unlock immense opportunity if it clarifies land tenure and increases collaboration with other sectors and stakeholders, in particular discerning investors, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.
Presentations:
- León Jorge Castaños, Director General of the Mexican National Forestry Commission, Radiography of Illegal Deforestation in Mexico (also available in Spanish)
- Steve Gretzinger, Zak Forest Resources, Natural Forest Concessions: A pragmatic took for providing a spectrum of benefits