World Forestry: Forest Sector Investment Needs in Latin America

At a 1982 conference sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank, representatives from most Latin American countries met with officers of lending institutions to define financing needs and potentials in forestry. Projections of needed annual investments in forest industry and industrial forestry were $6.6 billion for the years 1981-1985, rising to $9.2 billion during 1996-2000. Potential investment in social and protection forestry was estimated at $2.6 to $4.2 billion for 1981-2000. Prerequisite to such rates of investment are the development of sufficient institutional capacity to plan major projects, and the development of mechanisms to encourage investment.