| | |  Editorials | Environmental 
COP16 to Give Mexico Opportunity to Consolidate Forestry Financing
 Suzanne Stephens Waller - Presidencia de la República
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October 03, 2010
During his inauguration of the 8th 21st Century Mexico Forestry Expo, Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada said that Federal Government has promoted a financing scheme for forestry support which, in nearly four years, has managed to consolidate a figure of over five billion pesos.
He said that the bank credits for obtaining these funds were based on two characteristics: soft bank rates and 7-year terms. He explained that both Financiera Rural and Trusts Instituted in Relation to Agriculture (Fira) are working closely with the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) to enable land owners to afford forestry plantations that take over 10 years to mature.
He said that this guarantee scheme provides access to credit lines from various banking institutions, supporting the early years, which are most difficult stage of forestry plantations. He said that this is part of federal actions to build better forests in Mexico and an intrinsic part of the world negotiations President Felipe Calderón has dealt with at international forums.
The Semarnat director said that conservation and financing of forestry ecosystems will be a subject of debate at the upcoming World Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP16), to be held from 29 November to 10 December in Cancún, Quintana Roo, by promoting REDD+ (Reduction of Emission derived from Deforestation and Degradation), an initiative Mexico has worked on intensely prior to this summit since it regards it as a wonderful opportunity to finance the development of forestry projects, and one that will provide the country with several opportunities.
He explained that the current financing procedure can be adapted if producers used the funds provided by ProTree as a down payment for an account, and then request credit and participate in this scheme, which is similar to the one used in Chile and Brazil, which are examples of forestry management.
He said that as a result of Mexico's achievements in this respect, the World Bank selected Mexico and China as the most advanced countries in environmental service payment, making them, together with the Congo and Indonesia, the only nations entitled to global credit for forestry donations.
For his part, Director General of the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), Juan Manual Torres Rojo who, with the motto "Business for Nature," is attempting to boost productivity and ensure that timber producing services provide more development options for Mexican peasants.
He added that the main advances recorded by Conafor include strategies for the protection of high-impact priority areas, which have a wide variety of natural resources. These areas receive soil remediation treatment, with attention being focused on problems through supports that last up to five years.
It is estimated that this edition of ExpoForestry will yield profits of over 130 million pesos, through business and trade agreements. Links will be established between producers and consumers to enable them to share the social and environmental responsibility of sustainable forestry.
Attendees at the Expo included office director of the Head Office of ProMéxico, Alfonso Cervantes Sánchez; Director General of Financiera Rural, Gustavo Merino Juárez, and Director General de Fira, Rodrigo Sánchez Mujica.
Source: Head Office of Media and Communication. Environment and Natural Resource Secretariat (SEMARNAT). |
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