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AT the first international conference of the International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF) Nigeria chapter, foresters from across Nigeria on Tuesday gathered at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, to find ways in which sustainable production and consumption of forest products can be achieved.
At the conference themed “Sustainable Production and Consumption of Forest Products,” the director-general of FRIN, Professor Adeshola Adepoju stated that “forests underpin life on Earth and have a key role in sustainable development.
“The benefits of forests to human existence are innumerable. As well as producing forests and forest products, forests provide solutions to challenges including poverty eradication, environmental sustainability, food security and agriculture, energy, clean water and watershed protection, biodiversity conservation, climate change, desertification and land degradation, and disaster risk reduction.
“Unfortunately, the valuable forest ecosystems of the country are under increasing pressure from deforestation, advances in industrialisation, encroachment, degradation and unsustainable practices.”
Professor Shadrach Akindele of the Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), in his keynote address, stated that community based forest management was a viable means of sustainably managing forests.
He said that in Edo and Cross River States there were communities where sustainable forest management has been achieved.
“Encouraging local forest communities to take an active role in managing and protecting their local forests can provide a source of income and help to conserve biodiversity.”
He added that “The sustainable production and consumption of forest products is critical for ensuring the health and well-being of forests and the people and species that depend on them.
“As we look to the future, it is crucial that all stakeholders work together to ensure the sustainable production and consumption of forest products.”
Sheila Ward, Coordinator, ISTF Global, in her remarks, expressed hope that further collaborations would be established among Nigerian and other African foresters during the conference and beyond.
Samuel Olajuyigbe, president of ISTF Nigeria chapter, inaugurated new branches of ISTF Nigeria during the conference.
He told Nigerian Tribune that ISTF is an international society established in 1950. “It aims to bring foresters, scientists and other stakeholders from around the world together to have a common goal of sustainable forest management particularly in tropical countries.
“Most forests are in tropical countries. But we have chapters across the globe. We interact and collaborate.
“We are non-political are we are not biased in our views towards environmental issues.”
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