"After 20 years, the Forest Stewardship Council will properly protect
Intact Forest Landscapes"
FSC needs to complement this by investing more in supporting greater certification opportunities for forest-dependent communities – which currently only represents 5% of the total area certified by FSC. This will help bolster FSC’s credibility as well as increase FSC’s relevance in many regions, particularly in tropical forest regions.
I ended my intervention by urging the FSC community to remember that it is our utmost duty that we must do all that we can to protect our forests for our grandchildren and their children.
GMO trees
A genetically modified tree (GMt, GM tree, genetically engineered tree, GE tree or transgenic tree) is a tree whose DNA has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. In most cases the aim is to introduce a novel trait to the plant which does not occur naturally within the species. Examples include resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, and herbicide tolerance, or the alteration of lignin levels in order to reduce pulping costs.
Genetically modified forest trees are not yet approved ("deregulated") for commercial use, with the exception of insect-resistant poplar trees in China.[1][2] Several genetically modified forest tree species are undergoing field trials for deregulation, much of the research is being carried out by the pulp and paper industry, primarily with the intention of increasing the productivity of existing tree stock.[3] Certain genetically modified orchard tree species have been deregulated for commercial use in the United States including the papaya and plum.[4] The development, testing and use of GM trees remains at an early stage in comparison to GM crops.
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