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Experts Highlight the Need for Collaboration and Nature Care in Forest Management, Beyond Institutional Change

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The challenges posed by the recent publication of the law creating the new National Forest Service (Sernafor), a public entity replacing the private-law corporation National Forestry Corporation (Conaf), were among the topics debated at the recent seminar "Policies for Sustainable Forest Development," organized by the sustainable forest certification organization PEFC Chile to launch a series of dialogues on Chilean forest policy. Additionally, the event emphasized the need to move toward a sustainable model that integrates biodiversity conservation, active management of natural capital, and a new governance approach.

The seminar, held at the Faculty of Forestry Sciences and Nature Conservation (FCFCN) of the University of Chile, brought together key sector stakeholders to reflect on the present and future of forestry amid a climate crisis and institutional transition.

The event began with welcoming remarks from FCFCN Dean Horacio Bown, who praised the opportunity for reflection, calling it "extremely relevant to our work." "There is a societal debate regarding crops, forest plantations, to what extent they should change or remain (...), and how we incorporate environmental, biodiversity, and social variables into all this," the academic commented.

Later, PEFC Chile President Hans Grosse noted that "within the global alliance for sustainable forest certification PEFC, Chile is the first country to incorporate Zero Deforestation requirements with geolocation technology into its national sustainable forest management standard, representing a key advancement. But beyond certification, today we want to open dialogue spaces to build a shared vision of forests as a common good."

Grosse recalled that PEFC—which stands for Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification—is a nonprofit international organization founded 26 years ago, now present in 48 countries, "with over 285 million certified hectares, equivalent to four times Chile’s total land area."

The event featured interventions by Julio Torres, Executive Secretary of the College of Forestry Engineers (CIFAG); Bárbara Saavedra, Director of conservation organization WCS Chile; and Fernando Raga, former President of CORMA and former Executive Director of INFOR. After their presentations, the three experts participated in a panel discussion moderated by former Environment Minister and co-founder of País Circular, Pablo Badenier.

Expectations

The first speaker was Julio Torres, Executive Secretary of CIFAG, who addressed the creation of Sernafor from a guild perspective. The law establishing it was published on May 23 of this year (Law 21,744). Torres noted that the legislative debate "was not easy, marked by contingencies, including the parallel discussion of the Biodiversity Service (SBAP)," adding that while this process took eight years, discussions about such a service had been ongoing for over four decades.

While acknowledging this milestone, the CIFAG representative added that "the sector’s challenges won’t necessarily change. It’s an administrative shift, from private to public, but that alone doesn’t imply an advantage. It’s an important step, yes, but deeper management changes are needed, especially regarding collaboration with the private sector."

In this regard, he noted high expectations around Conaf’s transition to Sernafor, particularly regarding cooperation: "Public-private collaboration happens naturally in wildfire combat, but it’s absent in other areas. External users regulated by Conaf report a lack of public-private collaboration, leading to an enforcement-focused rather than facilitatory approach from Conaf."

Nature Positive

During her presentation, WCS Chile Director Bárbara Saavedra emphasized the urgency of addressing the deterioration of Chile’s natural capital: "We have unique global biodiversity, with over 60% of native species under threat. Sustainability cannot be understood solely as a production goal—it’s a process that must center the life sustaining everything else."

She also called for adopting a transformative vision aligned with international conservation commitments.

"Sustainability isn’t a destination; it’s a process. We must advance toward a nature-positive strategy to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. That’s the goal set by the Convention on Biological Diversity: a comprehensive, coherent strategy compatible with carbon neutrality, inclusive growth, and social well-being."

The conservationist noted that beyond scientific circles, it’s now recognized—as science has long shown—that humanity must stop being "at war with nature," and the 21st-century challenge is to change this. "Among recent global commitments stemming from this understanding is the nature-positive vision, where we work collectively to halt and reverse nature loss, shift the degradation trajectory in coming years, and by 2030 begin restoring thriving, healthy ecosystems across all territories and oceans," Saavedra said.

Sustainable Timber

From a production perspective, Fernando Raga, former President of the Timber Corporation (CORMA) and former Executive Director of the Forestry Institute (INFOR, under Minagri), argued that forest plantations are key to mitigating climate change and reducing pressure on native forests.

"Every square meter of wood captures one ton of CO₂ and avoids another ton of emissions. We must view timber as part of the solution, not the problem," said Raga, who spent over 25 years as a senior executive at Forestal Mininco (CMPC) and now sits on PEFC Chile’s Superior Council.

"You might say, ‘Sure, wood is fine for a beach cabin,’ but we need urban densification... Well, here’s a photo of Ascent, the world’s tallest timber skyscraper (in Milwaukee, USA)—25 stories high. Structures like this are achievable."

Raga also stressed the need to elevate forestry’s role: "The sector has been headless for years. Ministries don’t engage; they’re uninterested. Hopefully, the Environment Ministry can broaden its view of sustainability, which has three pillars—not just conservation, but social and economic needs too."

"We need more environmental cost-benefit analysis and leadership open to integrating forestry into national policy," he concluded.

A Necessary Debate

The three experts agreed on expanding Chile’s forestry debate, framing it not just as a technical, economic, or environmental issue but as a structural matter for sustainable development.

"CIFAG has always argued that public policy debate is part of PEFC’s work beyond certification, and today we’re opening space for this dialogue," said Torres.

"I deeply value this happening in knowledge spaces where we can think differently to act differently," Saavedra remarked.

"I find it essential. The forestry sector has been neglected in terms of debate, presenting ideas, and discussing solutions. This space undoubtedly enriches dialogue," Raga added.

The seminar concluded with an announcement that the next event in this PEFC Chile series, continuing the dialogue on sustainable forest development, will take place on August 19 in Concepción.

Source:País Circular