February 28 2013: The Program on Forests (PROFOR) has issued an article on timber tracking in Liberia through the LiberFor chain of custody system.

The system was established in response to the National Forestry Reform Law adopted in 2006 to address corruption, illegal logging and a lack of transparency in the forestry sector. It is funded by the US Government, PROFOR and the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance program (FLEG). The article stresses that there were many challenges in the establishment and implementation of the LiberFor system, with income generated through the project remaining well below expected benefits, calling into question its long-term sustainability.

Additional challenges highlighted by the article include difficulties with deploying new technologies, the lack of resources for enforcement and the inability of the system to ensure that social and environmental regulations and agreements were followed.

However the article also highlights a number of positive outcomes including job creation, the improvement of infrastructure such as roads and ports, and improved governance in the forestry sector. [PROFOR Blog Post]