Timber Tracking:
Just A Technical Issue?
 

by

Dr. Takeshi Toma
Center for International Forestry Research
and
Mr. Bill Maynard
Global Environmental Facility

Slide 1: Timber Tracking: A small part of the picture

• Timber tracking helps to highlight issues within illegal logging.
• It does not claim to address the core issues.
• It does aim to tell you where it is coming from.

Slide 2: Technology or Tool

• There are any number of systems existing using bar codes or hammer marks or paint.
• The technology of the system does not really matter it is the will of the people using it.
• For this presentation the question is:

Slide 3

1. Does the ability to trace timber tell you much about the legality?
2. Does it provide enough reassurance to the stakeholders about the good management of the supply chain?
3. Does it further the objectives of AFP?

Slide 4 What tracking can tell you. What do you want to know?

Different players in the trade chain want to know different things:

• Government: (local, national, international)
• Producer: (FMU management, contractor, owners)
• Users: (Manufacturers, traders, consumers)

Slide 5: Legal origin vs Legal compliance

Origin

• Do we know where this log comes from?
• Does the person cutting the tree down have the right to harvest
• Permits
• Licenses
• Payment of royalties & tax

Compliance

• Has this log been harvested in a way that complies with all the necessary rules and regulations?
• Are there the necessary:
• EIA reports
• Do they use RIL
• Do they observe buffer zones

Slide 6: What systems are out there? Mandatory vs Voluntary

Mandatory

• BRIK
• MTCC (Peninsular Malaysia)
• Sarawak log tracking

These systems are considered government endorsed and not independent

Voluntary

• FSC
• MTCC CoC
• TFF
• TFT
• GFS
• WWF / GFTN

These systems are considered independent

Slide 7: Is There Scope For Harmonization?

• Is there a common denominator among the systems AFP can promote as a baseline for trade?
• What would be the mechanism for identifying and endorsing that baseline?

Slide 8: China - Hong Kong

• Free port, very little regulation of trade except for 菟rohibited articles・under Chapter 60
• CITES not implemented effectively
• Study unclear about phytosanitary controls???

Slide 9: Objectives of any log tracking system:

• Practical
• Transparent
• Affordable
• Fit for purpose
• Auditable
• & have the confidence of those who use it

Slide 10: What can AFP do?

• It can recognize that Timber Tracking is one piece of the jigsaw in combating international trade in illegal logs.
• It can identify the key points that are necessary in any system
• It can be "SMART" and "TAP"

Slide 11: Before Tokyo Meeting

• Review some existing systems in the region in depth.
• Identify key elements different stakeholders identify as critical in any system.
• Draft an AFP guidance note on tracking

Slide 12: Progress so far

• Work plan already approved within AFP system
• "Buy in" to the idea from different stakeholders at this meeting.
• Offer to host a work plan implementation meeting by MTCC
• Range of possible systems for review identified

Slide 13: Beyond December

• Offer the findings to the ITTO up-coming meeting on illegal logging.
• Work with TNC's tracking in East Kalimantan
• Provide guidance notes for key points in supply chain
• To the forest gate
• To the point of export
• At the point of entry
• At the point of retail/end use

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