Current FRP projects supporting improved forest governance

FLEGT update meeting, Chatham House (RIIA),LondFLEGT update meeting, Chatham House (RIIA),London, 19 January 2006on, 19 January 2006

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Current FRP projects supporting Current FRP projects supporting improved forest governanceimproved forest governance

J R PalmerJ R PalmerManagerManager

DFID’s Forestry Research Programme at Natural Resources International Ltd.


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Current FRP projects supporting improved forest governanceCurrent FRP projects supporting improved forest governance

There are 5 short-term projects in this cluster:

• R8509 - Chainsaw milling and lumber trade in West Africa

• R8510 - Chainsaw milling for improving rural livelihoods – global / East Africa.

• R8511 - Chainsaw logging and milling and associated decision guide – Brazil and Guyana

• ZF0222 - Export credits in illegal logging• ZF0229 - Technologies for monitoring supply chains


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This presentation concentrates on the three short projects on chainsaw milling and logging.

Compared with the 1960s, chainsaws are now:

• About 1/3 of the weightAbout 1/3 of the weight• About twice as powerfulAbout twice as powerful• About 1/3 the costAbout 1/3 the cost• Much safer to useMuch safer to use• Much more reliable and easy to service in the fieldMuch more reliable and easy to service in the field• Much better supported by dealer networksMuch better supported by dealer networks

It is a combination of affordability, reliability and ease of use which has lead to enormous increases in sales in tropical forest countries in the last two decades.


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Chainsaws are used almost universally for tree felling, trimming and cross-cutting logs.

Where trees are sparse or where access is difficult for wheeled or trekked skidders, chainsaw milling into cants for manual carrying to roadsides may be the most appropriate way to extract timber.

Chainsaw milling may thus be the most sensible way to produce rough timber (lumber) for use on-farm.


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Chainsawn lumber may compete on price with lumber sawn in fixed or static mills especially when the fixed mills are old and inefficient or when the chainsawn lumber has been produced illegally.

Countries which lack clear and effective policies for domestic timber supply may encourage increased production of chainsawn lumber for domestic consumption because production can easily be scaled up; but less easily scaled down.


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Countries which are experiencing strong demand for raw logs for export may cause fixed millers to divert their supplies into the log export market and thus stimulate production of chainsawn lumber for the domestic market.

Even in the 1970s, at least 70% of the domestic market was supplied by mostly illegal chainsaw lumber in one country in Latin America. Today, in one country in West Africa, almost the whole of the domestic market is taken by chainsawn lumber.


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Ease of acquisition and portability make chainsaws very attractive for illegal timber cutting. If harvesting is mainly by concessions licensed by national forest services, inappropriate pricing of resource access may rapidly stimulate illegal logging including chainsaw logging.

Complex, irrational and multiple forest taxes especially in tropical countries seem to be associated with both illegal logging in general and chainsaw logging in particular.


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Many tropical countries lack the Health & Safety codes and training courses which are more or less obligatory in industrialised countries.

For East Africa, the FRP project R8510 is adapting training materials from Europe and Australia for efficient and effective cutting of on-farm trees.

The excellent FAO chainsaw manual is unfortunately out of print. The FRP project will prepare a somewhat similar but more comprehensive and updated guide with more attention to the chainsaw milling of farm timber.


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In West Africa, chainsaw logging and milling maybe illegal but prevalent, or maybe tolerated. FRP project R8509 is preparing a decision guide for stakeholders to show when chainsaw logging and milling may be appropriate. This project will also diagnose the aspects of corruption which are often associated with widespread illegal chainsaw logging.

This FRP project is intended especially to help countries where chainsaw logging is banned but is nevertheless prevalent.


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The third FRP project R8511, in Brazil and Guyana, is looking at the livelihood benefits of chainsaw milling compared with fixed milling.

Financial and equity streams are being analysed.

A decision guide on the use of chainsaw milling for addressing the poverty and equity of livelihoods in forest-dependent communities is being produced.


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All three projects are contributing to a review of information on chainsaw logging and milling, but avoiding duplication with the mass of information from Northern countries.

FAO Forestry Department holds a great deal of information on chainsaw use and some is being incorporated into the overall review.


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Most previous studies have concentrated on the technical efficiencies of lumber yields from chainsaw mills compared with fixed mills and on the ergonomics.

FRP projects this time are paying more attention to the issues of legality, livelihoods and equity.

In two of the projects, widespread and deep corruption affects the forest industry.

Corruption conditions attitudes towards chainsaw acquisition, possession, use and taxation.


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The many national forest services with a weak presence and authority in the field cannot prevent chainsaw logging and milling. The 3 projects will collectively assist in the preparation of a guide for management / licensing, showing the circumstances where chainsaws are most efficient, effective and equitable

These projects will not solve all the problems but they should clarify the issues of options and thus contribute to a somewhat neglected aspect of FLEGT.


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Documents

Current FRP projects supporting improved forest governance