The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) released the results of a three-year long study which concludes that, if well managed, artisanal logging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could sustain thousands of livelihoods and contribute to sustainable forest management (SFM).
17 June 2014: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) released the results of a three-year long study, which concludes that, if well managed, artisanal logging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could sustain thousands of livelihoods and contribute to sustainable forest management (SFM).
The study reports that artisanal logging accounts for 13 times more production than the industrial timber sector and employs about 25,000 people. Furthermore, about 85% of artisanal timber is purchased on the domestic market – resulting in about US$100 million in sales.
According to the report, additional research is required to ensure that the long-term artisanal logging sector is sustainable. Currently, however, the perception of widespread corruption appears to be inaccurate as are the impacts on forests, which are perceived to be negative when, in fact, artisanal logging doesn’t threaten the species harvested.
Similar studies were carried out on the domestic timber market in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia and the Republic of the Congo CIFOR is part of the CGIAR consortium. [CIFOR Press Release] [Publication: Le Marché Domestique du Sciage Artisanal en République Démocratique du Congo: État des lieux, opportunités et défis]