Systems Group on Forests, Global Futures Foundation The concept of sustainability is now being incorporated into every level of forest planning and management, from individual forestry cooperatives to global plans for development that include forest use. This process represents a new consciousness that human-induced phenomena such as forest depletion, pollution, and poor resource management will pose a threat to future generations, and possibly even this one. As widespread as the concept of sustainability has become, it has become equally diverse, incorporating the varied perspectives of environmentalists, economists, industries, and distinct constituencies with interests in everything from genetic diversity to employment stability. Needless to say, many of these interests stand in opposition to each other, creating contradictory definitions of sustainability. There are also many overlaps, indicating the significance of developing sustainable approaches to all human activities, and finding a common ground that will enhance this process. The discussion of how sustainability can be defined is not a new one. It was initiated by the Bruntland Commission, a group assigned to create a "global agenda for change" by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1983. The commission's definition of sustainability has been referred to by diverse bodies as a foundation for policies and practices that support a society that is economically, ecologically, and culturally sustainable: "Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable - to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" 1. This statement is at the heart of sustainability, and leaves open for discussion how humans can achieve this goal. Definitions of sustainability are emerging from many sectors, including industry, NGOs, government, and academia. The range of these perspectives encompasses bio-centric conceptions that consider biodiversity the key to long-term maintenance of ecosystems as well as product-centered definitions that seek to maintain a constant flow of output from ecosystems. A product-centered approach "calls for forest management that first identifies a desired level and limited mix of forest products of high economic value, and then manipulates the ecosystem to emphasize those products. 2. The viewpoints of Governmental and Non-Governmental bodies indicate how policies and principles are adapting to the need for sustainability. Their definitions tend to emphasize how institutions should take responsibility for maintaining healthy ecosystems, focusing on the needs of human systems, such as timber dependent communities, forest related occupations, and wood product industries that are economically dependent on products from the forest ecosystem. 3 Indigenous communities have also begun to articulate in more pronounced ways their views of sustainability. It is now commonly recognized that indigenous communities throughout the world have found ways to sustainably manage their resources, making their perspectives useful in formulating a global model. The indigenous perspective allows human influence to be considered as part of a balanced system, wherein the overall ecosystem evolves sustainably with humans playing an appropriate role. 4 Researching, understanding, and applying indigenous traditions and practices, in combination with modern industrial knowledge and technology, could be an effective way to develop and maintain sustainable forests. Certification and accreditation agents, such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Scientific Certification System, are also defining sustainability in an effort to promote sustainable management. Certification is a tool used to provide incentives for sustainable management by accessing green markets, or markets where sustainably harvested or produced goods have a greater value than nonsustainable goods. The principles of some leading wood and forestry certifiers indicate how industries are expected to adapt to the concern for sustainable practices. The principles provided by different certifiers define sustainable practices through criteria for monitoring and measuring performance. Pressure on industry to change its practices has led many companies to create their own definitions of sustainability. These reflect many of the trends found in other definitions, while maintaining the focus on trade and economic growth, assuring “a sustained flow of useful economical products for everyone. 5 The task of reconciling the demands of economies and ecosystems is a challenge that is bringing together forward thinking representatives from the entire spectrum of institutional bodies, whether industrial, educational, governmental, or environmental. Through this broad review of the concept of sustainability a sense of its variability should emerge, pointing to the necessity of finding a definition that is dynamic and can be used to develop practices, and not simply more rhetoric. "The meaning of sustainable forest depends upon which forest attributes, activities, or effects are to be sustained, at what levels and over what area and time period, by which means, and for and by which people. In sum, it depends on human values." 6 Dynamic Sustainability As this last definition clearly states, it is impossible to define sustainability without expressing human values. As human values shift and interact, the concept of sustainability must as well. Natural ecosystems maintain themselves by adapting to climate, population, and other changes. In the same way, a sustainable system must be dynamic. Through a careful evaluation of the goals and requirements of different groups, and of ecosystems themselves, an approach to forest use can be determined that is dynamic and sustainable. Viewing sustainability this way is only the first step in a larger process. By providing a clear picture of what the end result of sustainable practices will be, this discussion is meant to stimulate action on the part of all interested parties. Agreement on a single definition may not be feasible or useful, but cooperation in attaining some of the common goals of sustainable forestry is. The objective of the Systems Group on Forests is now to identify the policies and practices which will lead to more sustainable use of forests. 7 Endnotes:
Source: Global Futures Foundation, World Wide Web, 1997  |
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