Sponsors
The Ongoing Mission of Acoforag
Sponsors
The recent election of Acoforag's new board for the 2025-2027 term marks a significant milestone in the history of our trade association. It has been 12 years of tireless work, 12 years of building bridges where there were once gaps, 12 years of raising our voices for those who make it possible for the forestry sector to remain one of the fundamental pillars of our economy. Today, more than ever, we are a recognized and respected voice in Chile's forestry ecosystem.
During this time, we have succeeded in positioning the work of forestry contractors as a crucial link in the production chain. We are no longer invisible actors; we are protagonists of an industry that, despite adversities, continues to generate 300,000 direct and indirect jobs. We have fought for fair prices, denounced unsafe working conditions in our operations, and demanded that the State fulfill its constitutional responsibilities regarding public safety. Each of these battles has strengthened our identity as a trade association.
However, we cannot rest on our laurels. The forestry sector is facing its most complex moment in decades: we have dropped from second to fourth place as the country's leading export sector, over the past 6 years we have lost 350,000 hectares of planted forests and 250,000 hectares of native forests to fires, rural violence persists unresolved for 28 years, and major companies in the sector are announcing investments abroad. Market distortions hit us hard: prices that do not reflect real costs, contracts that fail to account for terrain complexities, and a forestry regulatory framework that remains an unfulfilled promise.
The ongoing mission of Acoforag is precisely to face these realities head-on without losing hope or the capacity to act. We must be critical and self-critical. Are we prepared for the technological challenges ahead? How do we train the new generations of contractors? What strategic alliances do we need to build? The path ahead is not easy, but within these difficulties lies the opportunity to reinvent ourselves, to prove that we are capable of adapting and evolving.
Acoforag will continue to be that meeting space where every contractor, every worker, every entrepreneur in the sector finds not only representation but also the tools to face the future. Our mission is ongoing because the challenges are permanent, but so too is our commitment to a fairer, safer, and more prosperous forestry sector for all those who make it possible day after day.
We also take pride in celebrating the 50th edition of the Revista Contratistas Forestales, a milestone that reflects our commitment as a trade association to highlight the work, innovation, and effort of the forestry sector, thanks to the unwavering support of national and international sponsors and companies.
