13 September 2016: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) has released a revised edition of its criteria and indicators for sustainable tropical forest management, aiming to ensure that the tool continues to meet the evolving needs of tropical forest stakeholders.

The ITTO criteria and indicators constitute an important policy instrument for operationalizing the concept of sustainable forest management in tropical forests. Criteria characterize the essential components of sustainable forest management, and indicators are ways of assessing each component. ITTO pioneered their development in the early 1990s, with the aim of enabling the assessment of the condition of tropical forests in producer member countries and identifying weaknesses in forest practices and the improvements needed. Since then, nine schemes have been developed covering approximately 150 countries, collectively encompassing all major eco-zones.

Developed by a team of experts, with inputs from ITTO members and the International Tropical Timber Council, the new edition includes seven criteria and 58 indicators. The criteria address: enabling conditions for sustainable forest management; extent and condition of forests; forest ecosystem health and resilience; forest production; forest biodiversity; soil and water protection; and economic, social and cultural aspects. [ITTO Press Release] [Criteria and Indicators for the Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests]