Illegal Forest Production and Trade : An Overview

This paper looks at the evidence on the magnitude and impacts of forest illegal acts, examines the vulnerabilities of the forest sector, and proposes a strategy for combating forest crime. Forest crime prominently includes illegal logging but acts against the law also affect other sector operations such as forest products transport, industrial processing, and trade. Almost universally, criminal exploitation of forest products and commerce prevail as large amounts are unlawfully harvested, traded against regulations in domestic markets or smuggled across borders, often with the willing participation of corrupt forest service officials and border police. Illegal activities do not stop at the forest. They travel down the line to operations related to transportation, national and international trade of forest products. A particular form of illegal forest activity, corruption, has come to the forefront of the international debate on forests and is now being openly discussed in various fora because of the increasing awareness of the immense costs associated with it. In this paper, corrupt deeds are illegal actions that:(i) engage public officials; (ii) involve public property and power; (iii) are perpetrated for private gain; (iv) are intentional acts; and (v) are surreptitious. Illegal activities are main threat to global resources. A wide variety of illegal acts, including, among others, illegal logging, illegal trade, arson and unauthorized occupation of forestlands, take place in all kinds of forests, in developing and industrialized economies. Often illegal activities are associated with corruption, involving the willing participation of government officers, usually in complicity with parties of the private sector, in schemes to abuse public property. Illegal acts generate a number of undesirable economic impacts, harm the environment and the most vulnerable sectors of society. To conclude, the improvement of the policy and legislative framework and the proper enforcement of the law may be the most important issue in the future management of forest resources worldwide.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Contreras-Hermosilla, Arnoldo
Format:	Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2002-05-28
Subjects:	FOREST SERVICES, WOOD, FOREST EXPLOITATION, SOCIAL COSTS, FOREST INSTITUTIONS, FOREST ADMINISTRATION, STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT, LAND REFORM, ECONOMIC GROWTH, FOREST CONCESSION, FOREST MANAGEMENT, FORESTRY SECTOR, FOREST CRIMES, FOREST INDUSTRIES, FOREST GUARDS, PRODUCERS, FOREST COMPANIES, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROPERTY RIGHTS, FINANCIAL RESOURCES, TIMBER, WOOD PRODUCTS, SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF FOREST, POLITICAL ECONOMY, REVENUES, CONCESSION POLICIES, SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT, FOREST AREAS, INCENTIVES, FOREST SYSTEMS, TIMBER COMPANIES, EMPIRICAL STUDIES, COMMON GOOD, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, TREES, WOODLAND, CONDITIONALITY, FORESTRY COMPANIES, FOREST LAW, AUDITS, RESOURCE USE, CONCESSION, EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, FOREST REVENUE, WILDLIFE, LAND TITLING, FOREST PRODUCTS, FOREST SECTOR, EXPLOITATION, OIL, PUBLIC FOREST ADMINISTRATIONS, FOREST POLICY, MANAGED FORESTS, NATIONAL FOREST RESOURCES, FORESTRY LAW, OPTIONS, FOREST ADMINISTRATIONS, FOREST AUTHORITIES, WOODLANDS, BIODIVERSITY, TIMBER INDUSTRY, DEBT, FOREST OPERATIONS, PUBLIC FORESTRY ADMINISTRATION, SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY, POLLUTION, FORESTRY, PUBLIC HEARINGS, TIMBER TRADE, FOREST RICH COUNTRIES, DIVIDENDS, FOREST RESOURCES, POLICY DECISIONS, LANDOWNER, TIMBER HARVESTING, NATURAL RESOURCES, METALS, CONSERVATION OF FORESTS, FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN, EFFICIENCY, CERTAIN EXTENT, TAXES, LAND USE, RESOURCES, EQUITY, SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT, ECOSYSTEM, ECONOMIC IMPACT, FORESTRY POLICY, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, PRIMARY FORESTS, VALUES, INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION, MARKET PRICES, FOREST POLICIES, TIMBER MARKETS, FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS, CREDIT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, DEFORESTATION, DEMAND, FORESTS, NATIONAL INCOME, FOREST CONCESSIONS, ENDANGERED SPECIES, FOREST SERVICE, FOREST POLICY REFORM, ENVIRONMENTS, AGRICULTURE, PROPERTY, LOGGING, FOREST, ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES, DECISION MAKING, FOREST STEWARDSHIP, RAINFOREST, FOREST RESOURCE, ENVIRONMENT, FOREST LANDS, HUNTING, FOREST HARVESTING, ECONOMICS, EMPIRICAL RESEARCH, FISHERIES, CARTELS, DEGRADATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FOREST ACTS, TRADE, POLLUTERS, FOREST INVENTORIES, LAND, FOREST CONCESSIONAIRES, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, RAINFORESTS, FOREST ACTIVITY, FOREST CLEARING, COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES, REGIONAL FOREST, FOREST LEGISLATION, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS, COMPETITIVE MARKETS, WATER POLLUTION, FOREST CERTIFICATION, FORESTRY AUTHORITY, FOREST FIRES, REVENUE, POLLUTION CONTROL, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, RESOURCE OWNERSHIP, EFFLUENTS, FOREST LAWS, FOREST ACTIVITIES, PUBLIC FORESTRY, PROFITS, POLICY INSTRUMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL, NATIONAL FOREST POLICIES, PUBLIC GOOD, ILLEGAL DEFORESTATION, FOREST GOVERNANCE, PRICES, FOREST AUTHORITY, FOREST PRODUCTION, ECONOMIES, FOREST LAW ENFORCEMENT, COMPETITION,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/04/26227878/illegal-forest-production-trade-overview http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24496
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