Investment policy in the forestry sector and its implications for plantation development

The subject of deforestation and degradation of tropical forests has attracted a lot of attention in the last two decades culminating in the Rio Declaration on Forests and Environment in 1992: The main thrust of our forest policy is that our nation's viability is dependent on the wise use of forest and wildlife resources which are vital in maintaining ecological and life-sustaining processes. One major area which has been highlighted in the policy is the development of the artificial silvicultural industry to supplement resources from the natural forest to address the imbalance between supply and demand for the resource. The ultimate objective is to achieve a balance between utilization and conservation of the resource.