Corporate Social Responsibility in the Forestry Sector
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- Category: Politics: Moral Issues
- Date Submitted: 04/26/2011 10:48 AM
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1 Introduction
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important for companies to show, their customers and the world, that they are doing what is right for the employees, the community, and the environment. This concept is especially important in the forestry sector as people are becoming more environmentally aware.
The forests throughout the world contribute to the livelihood of more than 1.6 billion people and over 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity make the forest their home. The forest products industry provides employment for 50 million people annually (current world population is 6.77 billion ). Not only is the forest industry a vital source of employment and livelihood but also a vital source of economic growth. In 2008, the value of global forest products traded internationally reached US$270 billion; developing countries accounted for more than 20 percent. Forests are not only a major carbon sink regulating global climate, they also help to maintain the fertility of the soil, protect watersheds, and reduce the risk of natural disasters, such as floods and landslides. Global deforestation and degradation threaten biodiversity, forest-related ecological services, and rural livelihoods. As the population of humans continues to grow and more countries become affluent, there will be a continued growth in the demand for wood products (The World Bank 2008).
This paper will present the social and environmental challenges that the forestry sector is facing and the role these challenges play in corporate social responsibility. The importance of Sustainable Forest Management will also be discussed and the strategies that the market and policy makers use/implement in order to meet the challenges.
2 Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a relatively new concept in many sectors and in the forestry sector this concept has been, and is, extremely important. According to Dashwood (2004, 191)...
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important for companies to show, their customers and the world, that they are doing what is right for the employees, the community, and the environment. This concept is especially important in the forestry sector as people are becoming more environmentally aware.
The forests throughout the world contribute to the livelihood of more than 1.6 billion people and over 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity make the forest their home. The forest products industry provides employment for 50 million people annually (current world population is 6.77 billion ). Not only is the forest industry a vital source of employment and livelihood but also a vital source of economic growth. In 2008, the value of global forest products traded internationally reached US$270 billion; developing countries accounted for more than 20 percent. Forests are not only a major carbon sink regulating global climate, they also help to maintain the fertility of the soil, protect watersheds, and reduce the risk of natural disasters, such as floods and landslides. Global deforestation and degradation threaten biodiversity, forest-related ecological services, and rural livelihoods. As the population of humans continues to grow and more countries become affluent, there will be a continued growth in the demand for wood products (The World Bank 2008).
This paper will present the social and environmental challenges that the forestry sector is facing and the role these challenges play in corporate social responsibility. The importance of Sustainable Forest Management will also be discussed and the strategies that the market and policy makers use/implement in order to meet the challenges.
2 Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a relatively new concept in many sectors and in the forestry sector this concept has been, and is, extremely important. According to Dashwood (2004, 191)...