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The Image of the Forest Industry 50th ACPWP Preparatory Meeting 20 October 2008 in Rome Joachim Lorbach Forestry Officer, Forest Products Service Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Background. This executive summary is based on:

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  1. The Image of the Forest Industry50th ACPWP Preparatory Meeting 20 October 2008 in RomeJoachim LorbachForestry Officer, Forest Products ServiceFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

  2. Background This executive summary is based on: Public Perception of Forest Industry and Environment, presented under item 8 at the 48th session in Shanghai, 2007 A revised version, prepared early in 2008, including additional information and recommendations

  3. What is image? Image describes a sentiment, picture or instinctive impression of a certain subject The subject could be a person, an organization, a product or an industry Image can be negative or positive Tends to stabilize over time Is subject to dynamic changes

  4. What is perception Term was used at the 48th session Perception expresses a belief or opinion, that one holds as a result of realizing or noticing something, which is not obvious to other people

  5. Facts are facts, but Perception is reality Public perception is: The more paper or wood is used, the more deforestation is taking place Fact is: Substitute products gain market shares although not produced from renewable resources, but profiting from the negative perception of wood Compared to the campaigns of NGOs, Forest Industry was not very successful to build a better image

  6. Positive Facts Wood is renewable More than half of the industry’s energy requirements are from internally generated fuels Rocketing fuel prices, the climate change debate and food security are raising concerns about energy security The forest products industry is the foremost industrial generator of renewable energy resources (RES) Compare to burning of wood, the forest products industry generates four times the added value in addition to six times more jobs Wood is the most renewable and sustainable building material in many countries and for the poor often the only available one

  7. Negative Perceptions A significant part of the public believes that they contribute to forest loss when using wood Widespread illegal logging practices is profitable for both the industry and the consumer, but is heavily damaging the image of the industry Forest Plantations endanger biodiversity and damage soil and water Plantations are substituting natural forests

  8. Recommendations The existing gap in knowledge, belief, attitudes, and action of forestry industry has generated the need for strategic communication

  9. Recommendations Strategic, professional communication requires: Relevance Consistency Clarity Continuity Honesty Reliability Openness and transparency Listening and learning

  10. What can FAO do? Improving the image of the forest industry by Actuating the collection and dissemination of reliable facts on forest utilization Raising public awareness on the difference between perception and facts Acting as a neutral forum for stakeholders to mitigate gaps between perceptions and facts

  11. What can the Industry do? Improving the image of the forest industry by • Identifying where the problems are • Identifying the right audience and how to reach them • Developing, testing and implementing communication concepts • Continually monitoring the effects of the communication concepts and modifying them if necessary

  12. Thank you

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