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representing public administration, management and business
consulting, engineering, finance, banking and investment, research,
development, education and training, sales and marketing of natural
resource goods.
ANRICA is both an implementing and an advisory organization
specialized in rural area management and development, grouped
around three principal working domains:
• Natural resource management (agriculture, forestry, mining)
• Economic development of rural areas
• Preservation of environmental services.
Politically, Austria strongly supports a holistic approach to forests,
so that all economic, environmental and societal aspects are dealt
with in a balanced manner. Austria believes in a commonly agreed
global framework for sustainable forest management, as a refer-
ence point for forest-related actions in all contexts and at all levels.
Austria has a long history of proactive engagement in a number of
multilateral and international institutions and processes, in particu-
lar the United Nations Forum on Forests. In Europe, Austria has
initiated a process towards a Legally Binding Agreement on Forests
for the pan-European region and globally, as part of its long-term
advocacy for an adequate forest regime.
However, ultimately all concepts and regulations regarding forests
will only work if carried out together with people. International Year
of Forests, 2011 was a unique opportunity to emphasize the inter-
dependency of people and forests at all levels. Austria established a
rich, comprehensive agenda for promoting these aspects of forests
in the public debate.
Efforts were taken to ensure broad systematic media coverage
on forests, for instance the Austrian State TV station covered
a specific forest-related topic every week through-
out 2011. Social media tools Facebook and Twitter
were used in order to reach out particularly to young
people. Specific information packages were issued
and a Forest Education Package was provided to all
Austrian primary schools. Various public private
partnerships helped to broaden the support basis
and the outreach of forest-related communication
activities.
A remarkable project in this context is a brand of
organic chocolate named ‘A Piece of Forest’, produced
by an Austrian fair trade company and sold commer-
cially. A certain percentage of the revenue supports a
forest project in Laos under the leadership of WWF
and the Austrian Federal Forests Company. The money
is dedicated to improving the forest situation in the
protected area of Xe Pian, a natural habitat of the tiger,
which is threatened with extinction.
In relation to the magnitude of the world’s forest prob-
lems, this project is certainly just a small contribution.
However, it is a striking idea to combine the purchase of
something people enjoy – a piece of delicious chocolate
– with raising both funds for an important forest project
and consumers’ awareness about the challenges forests
face globally. The core message thus conveyed will stay
relevant far beyond this project and International Year
of Forests, 2011. Each forest, whatever its location, is
closely interrelated with the global environment and
economy, and deserves our full attention and support
more than ever.
Biodiversity is a key thematic principle for forest management
Image: Christoph Gröll
An Austrian chocolate company gives a percentage of its revenue
to support a forest project in Laos
Image: Johannes Prem