This document discusses sustainable use of tropical rainforests and issues related to human population growth and its impacts. It provides examples of how some indigenous tribes have lived sustainably in rainforests for thousands of years through small-scale shifting agriculture, forest product collection, and hunting. However, increasing human populations are putting more pressure on forests for resources. Strategies discussed to help address this include providing financial incentives for sustainable forest use and conservation. Certification programs like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) aim to promote responsible forest management.

1. Sustainable Use of Tropical
Rainforests
Dr. Mark A. McGinley
Honors College and Department of
Biological Sciences
Texas Tech University

2. People Have Been Living Sustainably in
Tropical Rainforests for Thousands of
Years
• Some tribes continue this same lifestyle today
– A small number of tribes has never been in
contact with the outside world
– http://www.uncontactedtribes.org/brazilfootage
(cool video)

4. Sustainable Use of Rainforests
• With small population sizes shifting
agriculture (slash and burn), collecting
products from the forest, and hunting have
minimal effects on the environment.

5. Sustainable Use of Rainforests
• Logging for wood • Peruvian Amazon
• Non-wood forest – logging a one-hectare
products patch of forest generated
$1,000.
– Food colorings
– The annual net yield of the
– Fruits and nuts sustainable harvest of fruit
– Rubber and rubber, after deducting
– Secondary wood products the cost for collecting and
– Rattan transport, was estimated
– Fragrances to be $422
– Medicines
– - Mongabay.com

6. Global Human Population Growth

7. Human Population Growth
Asia
1950 1.4 Billion
1990 3.2 Billion
2000 3.7 Billion
2010 4.2 Billion
SE Asia
1950 178 million
2005 555 million
2020 652 million

8. Increasing Population Sizes
• Increases the number of people directly
depending on the rainforests for their
livelihoods
– Displaced people emigrate to new places
• Increases population sizes in urban centers
– Exploitation of rainforest resources can provide
currency that governments can use to support
rapidly growing urban populations

9. Possible Strategies
• Provide financial incentives for people to use
rainforest resources in a responsible and
sustainable manner
• Provide financial incentives for people to
conserve rainforest resources

10. Forest Stewardship Council
• FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-
for-profit organization established to promote
the responsible management of the world’s
forests.
• Established in 1993 as a response to concerns
over global deforestation, FSC is a pioneer forum
where the global consensus on responsible forest
management convenes and through democratic
process effects solutions to the pressures facing
the world’s forests and forest-dependent
communities.

11. FSC Certification
• FSC certification provides a credible link
between responsible production and
consumption of forest products,
enabling consumers and businesses to make
purchasing decisions that benefit people and
the environment as well as providing ongoing
business value.

12. Forest Stewardship Council
Vision
• The world’s forests meet the social,
ecological, and economic rights and needs of
the present generation without
compromising those of future generations.

13. Forest Stewardship Council
Mission
• The Forest Stewardship Council A.C. (FSC) shall promote environmentally
appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of
the world's forests.
• Environmentally appropriate forest management ensures that the
production of timber, non-timber products and ecosystem services
maintains the forest's biodiversity, productivity, and ecological processes.
• Socially beneficial forest management helps both local people and society
at large to enjoy long term benefits and also provides strong incentives to
local people to sustain the forest resources and adhere to long-term
management plans.
• Economically viable forest management means that forest operations are
structured and managed so as to be sufficiently profitable, without
generating financial profit at the expense of the forest resource, the
ecosystem, or affected communities. The tension between the need to
generate adequate financial returns and the principles of responsible
forest operations can be reduced through efforts to market the full range
of forest products and services for their best value.

14. Forest Stewardship Council
Principles and Criteria
• Principle 1. Compliance with all applicable laws and
international treaties
• Principle 2. Demonstrated and uncontested, clearly
defined, long–term land tenure and use rights
• Principle 3. Recognition and respect of indigenous peoples'
rights
• Principle 4. Maintenance or enhancement of long-term
social and economic well-being of forest workers and local
communities and respect of worker’s rights
in compliance with International Labour Organisation (ILO)
conventions
• Principle 5. Equitable use and sharing of benefits derived
from the forest

15. Forest Stewardship Council
Principles and Criteria
• Principle 6. Reduction of environmental impact of logging activities
and maintenance of the ecological functions and integrity of the
forest
• Principle 7. Appropriate and continuously updated management
plan
• Principle 8. Appropriate monitoring and assessment activities to
assess the condition of the forest, management activities and their
social and environmental impacts
• Principle 9. Maintenance of High Conservation Value Forests
(HCVFs) defined as environmental and social values that are
considered to be of outstanding significance or critical importance
• Principle 10. In addition to compliance with all of the above,
plantations must contribute to reduce the pressures on and
promote the restoration and conservation of natural forests.
http://www.fsc.org/pc.html

16. High Conservation Value Forest
• High conservation value forest (HCVF) is a Forest
Stewardship Council forest management designation
used to describe those forests who meet criteria
defined by the FSC Principles and Criteria of Forest
Stewardship.
• Specifically, high conservation value forests are those
that possess one or more of the following attributes:
– forest areas containing globally, regionally or nationally
significant: concentrations of biodiversity values
(e.g. endemism, endangered species, refugia); and/or large
landscape-level forests, contained within, or containing the
management unit, where viable populations of most if not
all naturally occurring species exist in natural patterns of
distribution and abundance

17. High Conservation Value Forests
– forest areas that are in or contain rare, threatened or
endangered ecosystems
– forest areas that provide basic services of nature in
critical situations (e.g. watershed protection, erosion
control)
– forest areas fundamental to meeting basic needs of
local communities (e.g. subsistence, health) and/or
critical to local communities' traditional cultural
identity (areas of cultural, ecological, economic or
religious significance identified in cooperation with
such local communities).

18. High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF)
Toolkit for Malaysia:
A national guide for identifying, managing and
monitoring High Conservation Value Forests
• http://www.hcvnetwork.org/resources/nation
al-hcv-
interpretations/HCVF%20Toolkit%20For%20M
alaysia_softcopy%20version.pdf

19. FSC Around the World
• FSC has Network Partners in more than 50
countries around the world. Additionally FSC
maintains regional offices. The FSC
International Center is located in Bonn,
Germany.
• FSC Network Partners in Asia/Pacific
– India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Japan, Fiji, China, Australia
• None in SE Asia

20. Global FSC certificates: type and
distribution
• http://www.fsc.org/fileadmin/web-
data/public/document_center/powerpoints_g
raphs/facts_figures/2012-03-15-FSC-FIG-
Global_FSC_certificates-EN.pdf

21. Formation of Successful Sustainable Forest
Cooperative in Indonesia
• This Indonesian case describes the successful
formation of a 550 member cooperative, the Koperasi
Hutan Jaya Lestari (KHJL), which received FSC group
certification in 2005, and supplies teak for use in the
international furniture market.
• 30% of the profit is divided amongst members; the
cooperative also lobbies government for reform of
unjust forestry laws, distributes government aid related
to agriculture and forestry, and is starting a small loan
program
• http://www.fsc.org/fileadmin/web-
data/public/document_center/publications/Case_Studi
es/English_-_Case_Study_-_Indonesia.pdf

22. Background
• In Konawe Selatan District in Southeast Sulawesi,
Indonesia, individual families own one or more
teak agroforest plots of an average size of less
than one hectare. Due to legality restrictions –
primarily related to the issue of harvesting and
transport permits – most districts in the province
have only one or two wood buyers who could
therefore gain a monopoly over teak prices.
• Not being organised into groups meant that
individual farmers in the district were obliged to
sell their teak for very low prices.

23. Background
• In Konawe Selatan District in Southeast Sulawesi,
Indonesia, individual families own one or more
teak agroforest plots of an average size of less
than one hectare. Due to legality restrictions –
primarily related to the issue of harvesting and
transport permits – most districts in the province
have only one or two wood buyers who could
therefore gain a monopoly over teak prices.
• Not being organised into groups meant that
individual farmers in the district were obliged to
sell their teak for very low prices.

24. The Cooperative
• The cooperative’s primary reason for becoming
certified was the strong demand for FSC teak among
European and American buyers, and the opportunity to
sell wood for a higher price directly to factories in Java.
• Another driver was the potential for increased local
government recognition of farmers’ forest
management abilities.
• Farmers were managing their teak in a largely
sustainable manner, and had a willingness to work
toward FSC Certification.
– organize farmers into a cooperative: 46 villages were
helped to form farmer groups and elect representatives to
come together as founding members of the cooperative.

25. Interesting Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV1t-
MvnCrA

26. Videos by WWF About Palm Oil
• How can palm oil be more sustainable?
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3b4n7Mz1Y
E
• Oil Palm
– http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agri
culture/palm_oil/

27. Oil Palm article
• Sustainable Palm Oil: Rainforest Savior or Fig
Leaf?
• http://e360.yale.edu/feature/sustainable_pal
m_oil_rainforest_savior_or_fig_leaf/2345/

28. Sustainable Palm Oil
• Sustainable palm oil production is comprised
of legal, economically viable, environmentally
appropriate and socially beneficial
management and operations.
• http://www.rspo.org/sites/default/files/RSPO
%20Principles%20&%20Criteria.pdf

29. Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil
• RSPO president, Unilever’s Jan Kees Vis, says
properly labeled sustainable palm oil will
show that the product “does not contribute
to the sustained destruction of valuable
tropical forests or damage the interests of
people in the regions where the palms are
grown.”

30. RSPO Principles and Criteria for
Sustainable Palm Oil Production
• Commitment to transparency
• Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
• Commitment to long-term economic and financial viability
• Use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers
• Environmental responsibility and conservation of natural
resources and biodiversity
• Responsible consideration of employees and of individuals
and communities affected by growers and mills
• Responsible development of new plantings
• Commitment to continuous improvement in key areas of
activity

31. Responsible development of new
plantings
• New plantings since November 2005, have not replaced
primary forest or any area required to maintain or enhance
one or more High Conservation Values.
• No new plantings are established on local peoples’ land
without their free, prior and informed consent, dealt with
through a documented system that enables indigenous
peoples, local communities and other stakeholders to
express their views through their own representative
institutions.
• Local people are compensated for any agreed land
acquisitions and relinquishment of rights, subject to their
free, prior and informed consent and negotiated
agreements.

32. Responsible development of new
plantings
• McG’s personal note-
• I am not at all convinced that they wont try
the “we just logged the area so now we can
plant ‘sustainable’ oil palm” approach.

33. Sustainable Palm Oil Websites
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
– http://www.rspo.org/page/509
• Green Palm.org
– http://www.greenpalm.org/en/about-palm-
oil/what-is-sustainable-palm-oil

34. Do Consumers Care?
• Home Depot: Eco Options
– FSC certified molding
– http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html?viewTaskName
=ExternalDirectView
• Target: FSC Certified Furniture
– http://www.target.com/s/fsc+furniture#?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID
=google&CPNG=patio+garden&adgroup=patio+furniture5&LNM=FSC
furniture&MT=broad&LID
• FSC Certified Wood Flooring
– http://www.greenyour.com/home/home-improvement/wood-
floor/tips/buy-fsc-certified-wood-floors
• Nestles to use only certified sustainable palm oil after 2015
– http://news.icm.ac.uk/business/retail/nestle-to-shun-unsustainably-
sourced-palm-oil/6449/

35. Does Texas Tech University buy only
FSC certified wood and paper products
and sustainably grown palm oil?
• How Does TTU fare as a Green Campus??

36. The College Environmental
Sustainability Report Card 2011
TTU Overall Grade = C-
• Administration- F
• The sustainability task force and the facilities and physical plant departments address
sustainability issues at Texas Tech. The university has no other known policies or initiatives
relating to campus-wide sustainability.
• Climate Change & Energy- F
• The university has an energy conservation plan that began in 2005. The plan includes lighting
retrofits, monthly energy audits, and air handler upgrades. Quarterly reports are released
and published online to track energy conservation progress.
• Food & Recycling- C
• The university buys some local produce and organic products. Dining services uses some
cage-free eggs and hormone-free chicken, and some seafood is purchased according to
sustainability guidelines. Fair trade coffee is served in some locations, and the school offers
discounts for the use of reusable mugs and bags. Texas Tech has completed a food waste
audit and recycles used cooking oil for biodiesel production.
• Green Building- D
• The Rawls College of Business was built to meet LEED Certified-level criteria but is not
formally certified. The university has no known green building policy.

37. Environmental Sustainability Report
Card
• Student Involvement- D
• Students have established a U.S. Green Building Council student chapter that includes over 80 members.
The group promotes green building and other sustainability initiatives through educational workshops.
Recently, the group helped organize Texas Tech’s Arbor Day events and Spring into Green, a community
event focused on sustainability. The group also coordinated a green apparel fashion show with eco-
friendly clothing designs.
• Transportation- C
• Staff receive assistance with carpool arrangements, and students receive free access to public
transportation. The university runs a shuttle service around campus and to various off-campus housing
locations, and the local bus system provides transportation for students and staff. Students can rent bikes
through the Outdoor Pursuits Center, and bike racks have been installed around campus.
• Endowment Transparency- B
• Proxy voting records and a list of endowment holdings are made available to the public per open records
law. This information is available at the investment office or similar office on campus.
• Investment Priorities A
• The university aims to optimize investment returns and is currently invested in community development
loan funds.
• Shareholder Engagement --
• The university does not have the ability to vote proxies, as the entire endowment is invested in mutual
funds or other commingled investment vehicles.
• http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/texas-tech-university

38. Creating a Green Campus Action Plan
at TTU
• Texas Tech University successfully pulled its community
together to develop a plan of action in the spring 2009
after receiving consecutively dismal scores from the
Campus Sustainability Report Card.
• One year later on Arbor Day, University President Guy
Bailey publically announced the University’s
membership in AASHE, a commitment to STARS and
the appointment of a University liaison for
sustainability. These announcements fulfilled the
recommendations rooted in these events.
– Not sure of the results

39. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
and Forest Degradation in Developing
Countries
• REDD- A United Nations Collaborative Program
– REDD is a mechanism to create an incentive for
developing countries to protect, better manage and
wisely use their forest resources, contributing to the
global fight against climate change.
– REDD strategies aim to make forests more valuable
standing than they would be cut down, by creating a
financial value for the carbon stored in trees.
– Once this carbon is assessed and quantified, the final
phase of REDD involves developed countries
paying developing countries carbon offsets for their
standing forests.

40. REDD
• REDD is a cutting-edge forestry initiative that aims at
tipping the economic balance in favor of sustainable
management of forests so that their formidable
economic, environmental and social goods and services
benefit countries, communities, biodiversity and forest
users while also contributing to important reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions
• http://www.un-redd.org/Home/tabid/565/Default.aspx

41. REDD
• The destruction of tropical rainforests is
responsible for an estimated 17 percent of
global CO2 emissions
— six times the amount of emissions from
aircraft.

42. How is the UN-REDD Program Funded?
• Norway continues to be the UN-REDD Programme’s first and largest
donor. Since the Programme was launched in September 2008,
Norway has committed US$52.2 million for 2008-2009, US$31
million for 2010 and at least US$40 million for 2011-2012.
• Denmark became the second donor country to join the UN-REDD
Programme, committing US$2 million in June 2009 and another
US$6 million in November 2010. At the end of 2009,
• Spain announced its pledge of US$20.2 million to the UN-REDD
Programme over a period of three years, and confirmed US$1.4
million for 2010 in November 2010.
• Japan's first funding commitment to the Programme of US$3
million for the UN-REDD Global Programme, and a first-time
funding pledge from the
• European Commission of approximately US$14 million (€10
million). The UN-REDD Programme is now actively looking for
more donors, to meet the increasing demand from countries
seeking support from the Programme

43. REDD Critique
Will REDD Preserve Forests Or Merely Provide a
Fig Leaf?
– http://www.cfr.washington.edu/classes.esrm.465/
2011/week%206/Will%20REDD%20Preserve%20F
orests%20Or%20Merely%20Provide%20a%20Fig%
20Leaf_%20by

44. REDD Critiques
• REDD-Monitor
– http://www.redd-monitor.org/about/
• No REDD Platform issues “wakeup call to
funders”
– http://www.redd-monitor.org/2011/09/22/no-
redd-platform-issues-wakeup-call-to-funders/

45. Video Make by Indigenous People
Against REDD
• http://www.redd-
monitor.org/2011/05/04/asia-pacific-
indigenous-activists-say-no-to-redd/#more-
8288