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Forestry Engineer Helmuth Keim Addressed the Challenges and Perspectives of Native Forests in Chile

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•In "Conversando con la Acoforag," the forestry expert highlighted the fragmentation of land ownership and market challenges for native forests.

Forestry engineer Helmuth Keim, with a distinguished career in the sector and training from the Universidad Austral de Chile, shared his perspective on the current state of native forests in the country during the 37th edition of "Conversando con la Acoforag."

Keim pointed to land fragmentation as a significant challenge, with the number of landowners ranging between 90,000 and 200,000, according to official figures. He also addressed issues related to permitting processes and market orientation, which is almost exclusively focused on the local level.

The specialist also mentioned difficulties in competing internationally, attributing them to factors such as pricing, microeconomic and labor restrictions, and limited accessibility to forests. He emphasized that international competitiveness is unviable if forestry operations are limited to the summer season, which prevents sustaining a competitive industry year-round.

Additionally, the professional discussed safety and management as key problems in the forestry industry, placing safety as a secondary concern.

The forestry engineer identified an underlying political and ideological problem, noting that the current administration holds an ideology he considers anti-forestry sector. This stance, in his view, is reflected in the lack of support for the development of the forestry industry in its traditional form and could negatively influence the resolution of management issues facing the sector.

Keim's intervention highlights the complexity of the challenges facing native forests in Chile and the need to address them from multiple fronts, including management, safety, and politics.

The full interview is available on Acoforag's social media and YouTube channel: