A foreign forest policy for France. Cooperation with tropical forest countries

Abstract

This article deals only with the moist tropical forests of Asia, Africa and Latin America (slightly less than 1,000 million hectares) and with the timber they produce, large quantities of which are imported by France. Reference is made, however, to the value of moist tropical countries for the production of biomass as a raw material for the production of charcoal, cellulose and methanol. In 1980 the deficit of the French balance of trade in respect of forest products amounted to 12,000 million francs. This was the second highest trade deficit, after oil. The 3.6 million cubic metres (roundwood equivalent) which France imported in 1980 represented 45 % of the value of the 18,000,000 cubic metres of timber logs which France produces on its own territory. This dependence of France on developing countries producing tropical woods faces the French economy with a problem that is all the more serious in that, for reasons given in this article, the tropical wood market is to an increasing extent a seller's market. The author reaches the conclusion that the only solution is for France to adopt a genuine foreign forestry policy aimed at favouring French investment in joint ventures in tropical countries which are present or prospective producers of timber and perhaps also of forestry biomass.