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Timber Guilds in Futuro Madera

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It is a network of organizations and individuals originating from and based in Chile's forestry-oriented localities, comprising diverse actors that shape a heterogeneous, dynamic, and deeply rooted productive sector in regions with a rich culture of traditions and ways of life tied to wood.

Facing the planet's environmental challenges and the significant transformation processes Chile is undergoing, one of this network's first actions has been the Futuro Madera Dialogues—a massive and extensive series of meetings across five regions of the country. These aim to engage and listen to nearly 300,000 workers in Chile's timber sector, gathering their opinions and proposals for the sector's development and to build a greener, more social future.

Already, 6,500 people have joined the conversation. During the regional dialogue in Ñuble and Biobío on January 6, the first proposal from this collaborative network emerged: a popular constitutional initiative presented to the Constitutional Convention titled "Right to Sustainable Development and Promotion of Nature-Based Solutions," which seeks to protect the future of forests and timber in Chile.

Concrete proposals derived from these discussions are also expected to be delivered to the new administration and regional governments during the first quarter of 2022. "Talking does us good. We know the world and people need wood and its products, but we recognize the need to strengthen social capital around this sustainable industry. It's time to look ahead and envision tomorrow—from the people, the regions, and from wood itself," says Antonio Minte, Manager of the Chilean Biomass Association.

For Senator Guido Girardi, President of the Senate's Future Challenges Commission, Chile's timber vocation is a major opportunity: "35% of Chile's land is only suitable for trees—it has a purely forestry vocation. I see an immense opportunity. The future, I insist, cannot be built with steel and cement alone—that’s the 20th century. Climate change will transform everything, and among other things, we will have a world, a future made of wood," he stated.

The Futuro Madera Network

Futuro Madera brings together the Chilean Biomass Association (Achbiom), the Association of Forestry Contractors (Acoforag), the Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma), the Native Forest Owners Association (Aprobosque), and the Small and Medium Timber Enterprises Guild (Pymemad), along with companies and other organizations. Its purpose is to renew the wood and bioproducts ecosystem, valuing them as solutions to the global climate emergency due to their immense potential in the bioeconomy and as a path for sustainable development in Chile's localities and regions. We spoke with the leaders of these guilds to learn about their expectations and challenges:

Jan Koster, President of Aprobosque:

"I think it's fantastic that forestry guilds are coordinating in this way, with a person or agency facilitating these activities—something we should have done long ago. But it wasn’t done, leading to a situation where we didn’t present ourselves properly, didn’t inform the community or Chilean society, and didn’t engage well with authorities or did so partially. In this effort, Futuro Madera, the first goal is to align among ourselves, smooth out differences, and seek improvement opportunities. Second, to engage with society—a great exercise amid Chile’s current political movements.

Our guild, Aprobosque, has participated through technology, sharing our perspective on native forests.

The main challenge and urgency is communicating the sector's challenges to society while recognizing existing opportunities and areas for improvement, especially regarding rural violence. Ensuring and improving respect for property and nature from industries, forestry actors, third parties, landowners, and everyone in general. And, of course, helping authorities understand this sector’s tremendous potential for the future and addressing climate change effects."

René Muñoz, Manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors:

"Bringing together forestry guilds and all those related to the timber sector to discuss our challenges is a long-overdue task that this initiative is addressing. Perhaps it took us too long, but it’s all said and done now—this is Futuro Madera’s time.

The forestry sector’s importance for Chile demands that all of us working in it take a critical look at how we operate and boldly propose future changes, breaking self-imposed models. This way, we can respond to current times and showcase the sector’s advantages to society.

Forestry contractors are the first link in the productive chain, working directly in territories and engaging with local communities. Our role is vital—we interact with those near forests and their neighbors. This on-the-ground relationship is where contractors’ contributions matter most. We must act responsibly regarding roads, hiring local workers, and using local services so forestry is recognized and valued for its community contributions.

Futuro Madera’s main challenge is uniting as many related organizations as possible, defining a common vision, and working toward it. We must highlight forests’ and plantations’ sustainability, their climate impact, CO₂ capture, ecosystem services, timber construction, and replacing synthetic products with wood-based alternatives.

The future economy is green, and forests—whether native or productive plantations—offer nature-based solutions."

Alejandro Casagrande, President of Corma, Biobío and Ñuble Regions:

"This is an extraordinary initiative. We have the chance to meet and dialogue with various guilds, institutions, union leaders, workers, and neighbors in the timber world. The key here is continuous dialogue—on what we can improve and what makes us proud to belong to this wonderful sector—to collaboratively build a more sustainable Chile and world with nature-based solutions.

Corma is a diverse forestry guild representing 150 small, medium, and large companies dedicated to sustainable forest cultivation, wood and fiber production, transport, and exports. We’re committed to Chile and the planet’s sustainable development, promoting harmony with communities and workers, environmental protection, and innovation focused on SMEs.

We represent actors across the forestry supply chain, from nurseries to export ports, and see broad alignment with Futuro Madera’s vision.

We’re aware of the new era ahead—marked by opportunities and threats. Global warming and climate change are major threats, but for the timber world, they also bring immense opportunities.

Chile has a strong forestry vocation—24% of its land is covered by trees and forests. Amid the climate crisis, we can’t waste this opportunity. The future will be made of wood. Fossil fuels, cement, and plastics, among others, have high carbon footprints and generate waste. To combat climate change, we must transition to an economy based on eco-friendly products and energy that don’t produce waste. Forests shouldn’t be seen just as wood sources but also as providers of ecosystem services like recreation, water cycle regulation, soil protection, and harvesting fungi, fruits, and herbs."

Rodrigo O’Ryan, President of the Chilean Biomass Association:

"This is an excellent initiative, uniting a sector crucial for society, the environment, and the economy. Everywhere, we see signs of the need for change—reducing fossil fuels, polluting materials, recycling, capturing carbon, and more—all tied to environmental care, economic, and social development. In short, shifting to a bioeconomy. Here, the forestry sector has enormous contributions, and projections are equally or even more promising.

The Chilean Biomass Association (AChBIOM) is part of the forestry sector’s productive chain. We use byproducts to generate energy for industrial processes and other sectors, including domestic heating. So, when Futuro Madera proposes a green, sustainable Chile with nature-based solutions, our guild aims to promote renewable energy from the forestry sector—all within a comprehensive bioeconomy framework, working alongside biomaterials, bioproducts, and service providers.

We must better inform society about the sector and this vision of nature-based solutions. We must debunk myths, especially about environmental impacts, while highlighting the benefits of these solutions. People love wood products—furniture, houses, paper bags—but don’t connect them to forestry. We can decarbonize energy, replace synthetics with wood-based materials, and even innovate with forest-derived alternatives. Initiatives like 'Chile, a Global Forestry Power' in the Senate’s Future Challenges Commission are steps forward. We must also heed critiques from academia, environmentalists, regional governments, and SMEs to ensure no one feels excluded.

The urgency is making Chileans as proud of their forestry sector as Finns, New Zealanders, and Canadians are—contributing to its development. I call on every Chilean dreaming of a green, modern, sustainable world to support the Futuro Madera network."

Michel Esquerre, President of PymeMad:

"Futuro Madera is an unprecedented sector initiative, showing large companies are opening dialogue spaces and moving past dismissing new voices. All sector actors are valid—their opinions, visions, and ideas can improve the forestry ecosystem’s image, often unfairly criticized. We can’t deny past communication, management, sustainability, and community engagement mistakes. In forestry, no one is expendable—we must protect all involved.

Alongside Achbiom, Acoforag, and Aprobosque, we’re among this dialogue network’s initial drivers, aligned with its goals and eager for it to mark a turning point. People’s lives in these territories, valuing this activity, and its sustainability require fresh perspectives. Communities must feel part of decision-making.

Many challenges exist, but one stands out: people love wood as a material but dissociate it from forests and forestry—as if wood didn’t come from productive forests. That’s what Futuro Madera seeks to change."

For more information, visit www.futuromadera.cl