Field Dialogue on Tree Plantations in the Landscape in Chile

The Forests Dialogue (TFD) and the Chilean Forests Dialogue hosted an international field dialogue on Tree Plantations in the Landscape (TPL) in Chile from May 31-June 3, 2016.

Tree plantations currently provide a third of the world’s industrial wood, a proportion expected to increase significantly in coming decades. They also have great potential to deliver environmental services and social benefits. However, many aspects of tree plantations have been and remain controversial, with concerns that associated environmental and social costs often outweigh economic and other benefits. TFD’s Tree Plantations in the Landscape (TPL) Initiative explores the evolving state of issues related to tree plantations and planted forests within the larger landscape context through engaging key stakeholder groups at the international, national, and local levels. The TPL Initiative will build and expand on TFD’s previous Intensively Managed Planted Forests (IMPF) Initiative, conducted from 2005-2008.

The Chile Dialogue was the first in a series of field dialogues that will apply the learnings from an initial scoping dialogue - held in September 2015 in Durban, South Africa - to particular geographic contexts through addressing the following key priority topic areas identified during the TPL Initiative Scoping Dialogue within the Chilean context:
 

1. Plantation forests in the context of the global development agenda & megatrends, and in the contexts of development at multiple scales, from global to local.
2. The design and implementation of plantation forests in the context of a landscape approach, and at different scales & geographies.
3. Approaches to enable good governance and inclusive development.
4. Identifying key externalities associated with the development and management of plantation forests, from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders; identifying gaps in knowledge; and considering the net impacts and externalities of plantation forestry as key decision criteria.
5. The diversification of the forms and species composition of plantation forests, the sustainability of plantation forestry systems, and access to and use of new technologies.

The TPL Field Dialogue in Chile had the following objectives:

1. Incorporate experiences from Chile in the international arena to add to discussions on key themes, such as landscapes, land use, local development and impact mitigation.
2. Understand a participatory methodology for discussion and collaborative work that allows groups with distinct interests and objectives advance toward a common vision, while also representing their diverse interests.
3. Have the opportunity to share visions of how the tree plantation sector contributes to the development of sustainability challenges.
4. Explore diverse forms of coexistence for diverse, productive, recreational and cultural activities and land uses.
5. Share experiences on the prevention, mitigation, and management of impacts from the tree plantation sector.

This dialogue was sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). For more information on the priority topics of the TPL Initiative and the outcomes of the Scoping Dialogue please see:

• TPL Initiative Paper (English | Español)

Publication:

Co-Chairs’ Summary: Field Dialogue on Tree Plantations in the Landscape (TPL) in Chile (English | Español)

Compilation of Stakeholder Opinions found here