Observations from the World Forest Industry Congress 2024
"New Zealand is the largest supplier of coniferous logs to China, and China is New Zealand's largest export destination." "Forestry is an important part of the economic relationship between China and New Zealand, and the two sides have a long history of forestry cooperation. New Zealand values and will continue to be actively engaged in advancing this relationship." From November 22 to 24, the 2024 World Forest Industry Conference was held in Nanning, Guangxi. Ouyang Xia, Deputy Minister of Primary Industries of New Zealand, expressed confidence in the prospects of forestry development in the two countries at the opening ceremony.
During the conference, representatives of forestry departments, international forest industry organizations and internationally renowned enterprises from New Zealand, Cambodia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and other countries gathered together with relevant Chinese ministries, provincial forestry authorities, as well as some universities, research institutes, industry associations, leading enterprises and other relevant representatives to seek common development. Through a series of activities such as the opening ceremony, academician experts' meeting, industrial exchange matchmaking meeting, and international trade exchange promotion meeting, the conference comprehensively displayed the achievements of the Chinese-style modernization construction featuring harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
The world's attention focuses on China's forest industry
"Mongolia and China are closely linked by mountains and rivers, and the two countries have a rich history of cooperation in protecting the natural environment, preserving the original landscape and maintaining ecological balance." Bayar Sahan Jafran, adviser to the President of Mongolia, said at the opening ceremony that Mongolia attaches great importance to China's important role in promoting green development in the world and actively advocating the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and expressed appreciation for China's contribution to protecting the common earth home of mankind in global cooperation.
The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization is the first intergovernmental international organization headquartered in China and the only international organization dedicated to the sustainable development of bamboo and rattan in the world. Lu Wenming, deputy director general of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, introduced at the opening ceremony that China is a major country in the world in bamboo resources, bamboo industry and bamboo exports, and bamboo exports account for 2/3 of the world's total.
"The International Bamboo and Vine Organization is willing to join hands with its member states and relevant international institutions, especially the host country China and the southern provinces including Guangxi, to deepen exchanges and cooperation, pool wisdom and strength, and make greater contributions to the realization of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals," Lu said.
The Chinese government has always attached great importance to forestry and grassland work. The State Forestry and Grass Bureau has a hand in the strict protection of land greening and resources to make beautiful green mountains and rivers; Focus on industrial development and rational use of resources, and make greater gold and silver mountains. By the end of 2023, China's forest coverage rate will exceed 25%, forest stock will exceed 20 billion cubic meters, annual carbon sink will exceed 1.2 billion tons, the annual output value of the forestry industry will exceed 9 trillion yuan, and the production and trade of forest products will rank first in the world.
Guangxi forestry industry strength leads the country
Guangxi is an important ecological barrier in southern China. As the country's first modern forestry industry demonstration zone jointly built by the central land, Guangxi has rich forest resources and obvious advantages in the forestry industry. A variety of forest products "drift to the sea" and are exported to ASEAN and countries along the "Belt and Road". In 2023, the total output value of the region's forestry industry is 956.9 billion yuan, ranking first in the country.
Forest resources are the basic advantage of Guangxi's high-quality development. The comprehensive growth rate of forest trees in Guangxi is about 2-3 times of the national average, and the area of planted forests, the output of wood and forestry products, and the output of spices and flavors are all leading in the country. At present, it has created ten characteristic industrial clusters such as wood processing and paper making, forest products chemical industry, forest economy, flowers and seedlings, built more than 20 national and autonomous region level forestry industry demonstration parks, and cultivated 400 high-tech enterprises, specialized special new and "small giant" enterprises in the forest industry.
Talent gathering injects inexhaustible momentum into Guangxi's scientific and technological innovation. Guangxi flexible introduction of a group of academicians and experts, has established a workstation in Guangxi; Set up the country's first provincial laboratory in the field of forestry, promote various kinds of scientific research to tackle 17 key technical problems, focusing on breaking through the southern pine eucalyptus, broad-leaved native fast-growing tree species, oil tea, fragrance and other fields faced with "jam neck"; 162 TCM demonstration bases, TCM health tourism demonstration bases and customized medicine parks have been built. Developed and applied 156 new products and technologies such as new-type reconstituted wood for household use and structural use.
Sui Guohua, vice chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government, introduced at the opening ceremony that the total output value of Guangxi's forest industry is expected to achieve 1 trillion yuan this year.
The world shares the fruits of green development
"By increasing the added value of our forest products, we are able to earn foreign exchange. At the same time, the development of forest industry is of great significance for promoting the physical and social infrastructure of rural areas." Weng Sam Arthur, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia, shared the important contribution of the forest industry to economic and social development at the opening ceremony of the conference, "The conference is not only an opportunity to comprehensively showcase the new achievements and new ideas of the global forest industry, but also an important platform to explore a new path of sustainable development, exchange information and experience, and promote global forest industry cooperation."
The Netherlands is the third largest destination for Chinese furniture exports to the EU. Karel van Bommel, Agriculture Counselor at the Dutch Embassy in China, shared the importance of sustainable forestry from the perspective of importing countries. In particular, he pointed to the EU Zero Deforestation Act, which puts the onus on companies to ensure that their supply chain is "zero deforestation", "companies have an obligation to accurately understand and prove the origin of their raw materials to ensure that only 'zero deforestation' products enter the EU".
The China Forest Certification System (CFCC) provides an effective solution for Chinese enterprises to cope with the EU Zero Deforestation Act. Since 2001, our country has gradually established the national unified implementation of forest certification system, built the national forest certification system in line with international standards, the forest certification certificate can effectively prove the source of wood raw materials, It is known as the "medical certificate" of forest product source control, the "letter of credit" of the market economy, and the "passport" of international trade.
In the 2024 World Forest Products and Wood Products Exhibition supporting the conference, a total of 26 countries such as Germany, Canada, Russia and 28 provinces (regions and municipalities) in the country focused on displaying new products and new technologies in the industry, and the exhibits covered the whole chain in various fields such as furniture and household, wood-based panels.
At the signing ceremony of the conference, a total of 35 key forestry industry projects were signed with a contract amount of about 20 billion yuan. The more profound harvest of the conference is that all parties have gathered consensus on development through deepening industrial cooperation, and will create a better future for the development of the world forest industry.
