Posted on April, 02 2008

The National Forestry Chamber awards WWF Bolivia

Santa Cruz, Bolivia - On March 28th, WWF Bolivia, the conservation organization, was awarded a special recognition on behalf of the Bolivian Forestry Chamber for its contribution to the forest sector. The award was received by WWF Bolivia’s Country Representative, Mr. Roger Landivar, during the swearing in ceremony of the Forestry Chamber’s Board of Directors during the fourth Wood Industry Business Roundtable, of which WWF and its GFTN (Global Forest and Trade Network) also took part, with the participation of over 30 international GFTN member businessmen.

The Chamber read a summary of WWF and its work mentioning WWF’s contribution to sustainable forest management and recognizing its professional skills and capacities. They highlighted WWF’s role in training the country’s first group of leaders for forest concessions and incorporating the concept of sustainability in the 90s. These leaders, now businessmen, play a key role in Bolivia’s sound forest management. "It is also worth mentioning that WWF Bolivia created the local branch of the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), the Bolivia FTN, with 11 participating companies representing 92% of Bolivia’s FSC certified forests."

"The Bolivian Forestry Chamber appreciates and values WWF’s work in Bolivia and the world, and thus, it is with great satisfaction that we present this award for its service and assistance to Mr. Roger Landivar", stated Mrs. Karina Tellería.

Mr. Pedro Colanzi, First Vice-President of the Bolivian Forestry Chamber also expressed how "very grateful we are to WWF for bringing - for the second year in a row - a large group of GFTN’s businessmen to take part in the Chamber's Roundtable". This support has been possible thanks to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands and WWF Sweden / SIDA.

Mr. Landivar expressed that "this recognition spans 15 years of the organization's forest work in Bolivia, and has been possible thanks to the hard work of the entire WWF Bolivia family, as well as many colleagues that aren’t working with us anymore. A special thank you goes to all of them."

Seeking to support the management and sustainable forest trade and certification, WWF Bolivia is working towards strengthening indigenous communities' capacities for responsible management and trade as well as promoting a national preferential demand for wood forthcoming from well managed forests, links between communities and companies, and the use of forest certification criteria as a planning tool to improve forest management.