This document provides a report from the FOA Chief Executive on the ACSFI meetings held May 2019 in Vancouver.

The ACSFI is UN Statutory body comprising individual experts who provide feedback and advice to the Food and Agriculture Organisation on its annual programme of work and budget.

Report from David Rhodes on ICFPA Steering Group Meeting, May 2019, Vancouver.

Report from David Rhodes on ICFPA Steering Group Meeting, 23/24 January 2019, Cape Town

Report from David Rhodes on the Annual Meeting held in Tokyo, Japan - Steering Committee, 11 June 2018; ICFPA full group, 12 June 2018

Report from David Rhodes, CE, FOA, on the meetings held in Rome on 4 April 2018 with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Forestry Director, the Internationa Council of Forest and Paper Associations Steering Committee meeting on 4 April; and the Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI) on 5 April 2018

Article by D Rhodes - October 2017
The FOA CEO prepared a paper for the Executive Council giving his take on the forestry implications of the new coalition government.

This document provides a report from the FOA Chief Executive on the ICFPA meeting held May 2017 in Berlin

Article published NZ Herald 22/12/16 by David Porter

This document provides a report from the FOA Chief Executive on the ICFPA and ACSFI meetings held July 2016 in Sydney

29 November to 11 December 2015 Paris, France. David Rhodes, FOA CE, attended the COP talks as a member of the New Zealand delegation.

The Paris Climate Conference took place from 30 November to 11 December 2015, in Paris, France. The Conference comprised the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 11).  The Kyoto Protocol legally binds developed countries to emission reduction targets. The Protocol's first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. The second commitment period began on 1 January 2013 and will end in 2020.

This document provides a report from the FOA Chief Executive on the (ICFPA) and ACSFI meetings held 9 – 11 June 2014 in St Petersburg.The purpose of the ICFPA as an international forest industry association is to provide a forum for global dialogue and co-ordination, represent the global industry in international organisations, develop positions on issues of mutual interest and to co-ordinate and communicate on action by member associations. The ICFPA represents 60% of the world's wood production and 87% of the world's paper production. The ICFPA is the only global platform for the forest sector and it allows exchange of information experience amongst 38 countries.

Article by J Goodhew published in Christchurch Press 21/1/15

Planted forest development in Australia and New Zealand: comparative trends and future opportunities - Paper by David Rhodes and Michael Stephens from the Third International Congress on Planted Forests, Bordeaux, France; Dublin, Ireland; and Porto and Estoril, Portugal. 16-21 May 2013

This paper reviews the status of planted forests in Australia and New Zealand and discusses opportunities for further development taking into account economic, social and environmental factors. These factors include regional wood demand and supply conditions, emerging markets for ecosystem services, climate change impacts and social attitudes toward planted forests. This article is part of the supplement: Proceedings of the Third International Congress on Planted Forests

http://www.nzjforestryscience.com/content/44/S1/S10

This feature article about the rich biodiversity found in plantation forests was first published in the Spring 2006 edition of the New Zealand Forestry Bulletin.

New Zealand sometimes becomes victim to some rather simplistic approaches to economic and industrial development. A common example is the idea that maximum on shore processing of our primary produce is in the country's interest because it creates jobs and provides more valuable exports - article by Rob McLagan

Forestry — currently New Zealand's third largest export earner — is likely to become the country's largest export earner within 15 years ... newspaper article by Rob McLagan

Forestry offers great hope as an expanding sector of the economy. In fact, the industry has already grown significantly over recent years and currently is the country's third largest export earner at $3.6 billion per annum. The industry contributes 4% to New Zealand's Gross Domestic Product and employs around 25,000 persons mainly in the regions - article by Rob McLagan

The forest industry is experiencing a different phase at present. Such periodic downturns are of course not new to the industry, and need to be considered in the context of the extremely long period that trees and their products have provided energy, building materials, paper, and furniture for mankind - article by Rob McLagan

The timber industry's current "quiet phase is believed to be giving operators a respite from the effects of a looming shortage of log truck drivers - article by Rob McLagan

Forest owners have had enough of local authorities extracting payments from them for road damage.While councils say the trucks cost them in maintenance, the forest owners point out that they already pay rates as landowners and much of this money goes towards roading - article for The Independent by Gareth Vaughan

Environment Minister Marian Hobbs aims to strip farmers and foresters in the LakeTaupo catchment area of their property rights and property values, without compensation, in a scheme to save the lake from nitrogen run-off - article for The Independent by Tim Donoghue

FIFA: Elements of relevance to private woodlot owners - this article was produced by the Chief Executive, Rob McLagan as a contribution to the Tree Grower February 2004

Many District Councils are attempting to impose excessive costs on forest growers for road upgrades to transport harvested wood - this article appeared in the Tree Grower, February 2004 and was produced by Chief Executive, Rob McLagan

Since the NZ Government ratified the Kyoto Protocol (KP) it has been developing its domestic policies that will enable it to meet greenhouse gas emission targets it has committed to - this article was sourced from Olsen News, Issue #21 – March 2004

Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton said in a press release on 8 April that the key aim of the Agricultural Recovery Programme was to enable farmers and crop growers to re-establish their businesses as quickly as possible - article received from NZ Farm Forestry Association

In a postal survey conducted by Middle Districts Farm Forestry Association amongst its own members there were 85 replies. These covered an area ranging from Raetihi in the north to Waikanae in the south and from Brunswick, west of Wanganui, to Hopelands, east of Woodville. The area in trees indicated by most respondents totalled 9238+ ha

This report was presented to the NZ Farm Forestry Association at its Annual Conference in April 2004 by Denis Hocking

Forest Measurement NZ Limited is an example of a Gisborne-based company which specialises in providing quality information to forest resource owners. The company was established in 1994 under the name Forest Care by Kees Weytmans

Data gathered before a co-operative on the Kapiti Coast was established, and anecdotal evidence, strongly indicates that generally woodlot owners have a poor understanding of good forest management, but if they join a co-operative they can change that as well as capture scale benefits. If they do not form co-operatives it is estimated that it will cost New Zealand $1.5 billion over the next rotation - by Hamish Levack

A range of resinous characteristics continue to degrade otherwise high value radiata pine - by Don McConchie

Already the third largest export earner, the industry has a vision of being New Zealand's top export earner by 2025 with exports worth around $20 billion. By that time, it expects to be contributing 14% to the country's Gross Domestic Product and employing, directly and indirectly, around 300,000 people. - Article Wairarapa Times Age

Horizon2, the Radiata Pine Breeding Company, (RPBC), and Forest Research, (FR), combined were all unsuccessful with bids for Government funding for tree improvement research in 2003. Largely as a consequence of this a group comprising the RPBC, FR, CSIRO, Ensis and the School of Forestry is working towards the development of a Tree Improvement Consortium. The TIC will contribution $1 million towards a research programme and will seek matching funds from FRST.

Wood Council of New Zealand - New Zealand Forestry and Wood Processing Industries : Post election brief for in-coming government. This paper outlines an agenda for securing the future of the New Zealand forest growing and wood processing industry. Enhanced government support for the industry is vital if the current challenges to the industry’s competitiveness are to be overcome and the industry’s contribution to the nation’s economic growth, environmental performance and social cohesion is to be maximised. The industry’s main message to the incoming government is that improving the climate for forest and wood processing investment is essential to the industry’s future development following a period where investment confidence has fallen.

National Environmental Standards are regulations issued under the Resource Management Act by central government that prescribe technical standards, methods or requirements for environmental matters. They apply nationally, meaning that each local council must enforce the same standard (although they can impose stricter standards when local conditions permit).

What is the Projects to Reduce Emissions programme? - Questions and answers

With the who's who of China trade in Auckland last week at the Gateway to China Trade Summit, it's timely to think about what China's wood products market has to offer New Zealand's forestry sector, says NZFIC executive director Steven Jacobi.

Election Brief from the forest and wood processing sectors

Removals of carbon dioxide via forest sinks is a key component in how Parties can meet their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. New Zealand is in a relatively unique situation having planted a substantial area of forest since 1990. It is estimated that between 1990 and 2005 675,000 hectares of new plantation forest have been established as a result of afforestation and reforestation activities. Projected removals from the land use, land-use change and forestry sector are based on data and assumptions from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry for the Environment. The forest carbon modelling was undertaken by Ensis (formerly Forest Research). The underpinning science incorporated in the forest carbon models used in these projections, along with scientific assumptions, come from work carried out by Ensis and Landcare Research.