ABSTRACT
In response to several questions, the panelists replied, and members of the conference commented, that the outlook for forestry in southern Mexico and Quintana Roo under NAFTA is favorable because neither the United States nor Canada produces tropical timbers; therefore, mahogany and tropical hardwoods remain competitive under NAFTA. Problems, however, are that mahogany is logged out, and tropical hardwoods are not known in the market. The Woodworkers' Alliance for Rainforest Protection in Vermont is very active in testing tropical hardwood, opening product lines using it; one guitar company is now making guitars with it; and in Quintana Roo, there are attempts to bring silvicultural practices to sustainable levels. Yet there is a debate over what these levels are. For example, should there be a 75-year cutting cycle for mahogany, or a 120-year cycle? A coalition of NGOs—the Council for Sustainable Forestry—is trying to develop national standards for certification of "sustainably harvested timber." Such timber would reach U.S. "niche markets," which would pay a premium for them. For example, in Quintana Roo, a Plan Piloto is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, in New York City, in association with the council. The council will take over certification for Mexico.
