ITTO: Supporting Sustainable Trade and Conservation in Tropical Forests

Tropical forests cover roughly 12% of the Earth’s land surface, yet they harbour over half of the world’s terrestrial species. At the same time, tropical timber is one of the most widely traded natural commodities on the planet. Balancing economic demand for tropical timber with the urgent need for forest conservation is no small task. That is precisely the challenge the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) was created to address. Established under the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), ITTO works at the intersection of trade, development, and environmental protection to ensure that tropical forests remain productive and biodiverse for generations to come.

What are the ITTA and ITTO? 🔗

The International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) is an international treaty first negotiated under the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and adopted in 1983. The agreement has been renegotiated twice since then – once in 1994 and again in 2006 . The current version, ITTA 2006, came into force on 7 December 2011 and governs the organisation’s present activities.

The ITTA provided the legal foundation for the creation of ITTO. ITTO is an intergovernmental organization that promotes the sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests and the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests. It began operations in 1987 and is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan.

The organisation’s membership is substantial. It currently includes 76 member countries, plus the European Union, that together account for roughly 80% of the world’s tropical forests and over 90% of the global trade in tropical timber. This means that decisions made within ITTO have a real and direct impact on how the world’s tropical forests are managed and traded.

Core objectives of the ITTA 🔗

The ITTA 2006 lays out several key objectives that guide ITTO’s work. These include promoting international trade in tropical timber from sustainable sources, supporting research and development to improve forest management and wood utilisation, enhancing market transparency, and encouraging the development of national policies aimed at sustainable use and conservation of tropical forests. In essence, the agreement tries to ensure that economic interests and environmental stewardship move hand in hand rather than pulling in opposite directions.

ITTA 2006 also provided for the establishment of Thematic Programs – focused funding streams targeting strategically important areas, including reducing deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing environmental services in tropical forests.

Promoting sustainable tropical timber trade 🔗

One of ITTO’s primary mandates is ensuring that the tropical timber trade is both sustainable and legal. This is critical because illegal logging and unsustainable harvesting practices are major drivers of tropical deforestation. ITTO tackles this challenge from multiple angles.

Policy guidelines and criteria 🔗

ITTO develops internationally agreed policy guidelines and norms to encourage sustainable forest management and sustainable tropical timber industries and trade. It then assists tropical member countries to adapt those guidelines to local circumstances and implement them through field-level projects. These guidelines cover everything from natural tropical forest management to plantation establishment and fire prevention.

ITTO also pioneered the development of criteria and indicators (C&I) for monitoring the sustainability of tropical forest management. The most recent globally applicable version of these criteria and indicators was published in 2016 , giving countries a standardised way to assess and report on their forest management practices.

Market intelligence and supply chain transparency 🔗

ITTO collects, analyses, and disseminates data on the production and trade of tropical timber and promotes sustainable tropical timber supply chains. Through its Market Information Service (MIS), the organisation publishes regular reports tracking global timber trade trends, price movements, and market conditions. This transparency helps governments and businesses make informed decisions and creates accountability throughout the supply chain.

ITTO also collaborates with the European Union on its Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) programme, which specifically targets the problem of illegal timber entering consumer markets. Together, these efforts help close the door on illegally sourced wood products.

Building capacity in producer countries 🔗

A key part of ITTO’s approach is recognising that sustainable trade is not possible without on-the-ground capacity in timber-producing nations. The organisation’s work spans areas including forest law enforcement and governance, wood-use efficiency, the competitiveness of wood products, and the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. By investing in training, technology, and institutional strengthening, ITTO helps producer countries move toward a timber industry that is both profitable and responsible.

ITTO’s conservation and reforestation initiatives 🔗

While trade is central to ITTO’s mandate, the organisation devotes significant resources to conservation and forest landscape restoration. Since its inception, ITTO has provided funding for more than 1,200 projects, pre-projects, and activities valued at over $685 million, all funded through voluntary government contributions.

Forest landscape restoration 🔗

Hundreds of millions of hectares of tropical forest land are degraded or deforested. Forest landscape restoration aims to restore ecological integrity and improve the productivity and economic value of degraded forest landscapes. ITTO has been a leader in this space for decades.

In cooperation with organisations like CIFOR, FAO, IUCN, and WWF, ITTO published its Guidelines for the Restoration, Management and Rehabilitation of Degraded and Secondary Tropical Forests in 2002. These guidelines remain a global reference document used by policymakers and field practitioners in tropical countries around the world.

On-the-ground projects under this programme have delivered real results. Highlighted examples include a community-driven mangrove restoration initiative in Fiji’s Rewa Delta, a commercial reforestation project in Costa Rica that combines timber production with enhanced ecosystem services, and women-led agroforestry initiatives in Togo and Benin that empower local communities while restoring degraded landscapes.

Biodiversity conservation in production forests 🔗

ITTO recognises that forests managed for timber can still be important for wildlife – provided they are managed well. The organisation worked with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to publish guidelines for conserving and sustainably using biodiversity in tropical timber production forests. These guidelines help forest managers integrate biodiversity goals into their daily operations without sacrificing economic viability.

Specific conservation projects funded by ITTO include efforts to protect endangered rosewood species (Dalbergia) in Vietnam and a long-running programme to develop the Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in Sarawak, Malaysia, as a protected area – important for the conservation of orangutans and other threatened species.

Tackling deforestation drivers 🔗

ITTO’s project portfolio addresses diverse aspects of sustainable forest management, including forest fire prevention, combating illegal logging, and supporting non-timber forest products and environmental services. In Peru and Indonesia, for example, ITTO has funded fire management initiatives that improve prevention and firefighting capacity, develop early-response protocols, and raise public awareness – all of which directly benefit biodiversity conservation.

ITTO’s global partnerships 🔗

No single organisation can solve the challenge of tropical forest conservation alone. ITTO understands this and has built a wide network of international partnerships that amplify its impact considerably.

The ITTO-CBD collaborative initiative 🔗

One of ITTO’s most significant partnerships is with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In the lead-up to CBD’s Conference of the Parties in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010, ITTO and the CBD signed a memorandum of understanding to encourage joint activities promoting the conservation and sustainable use of tropical forest biodiversity. This led to the launch of the ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity in 2011.

The initiative has four core objectives: enhancing local capacity for biodiversity conservation in production forests, improving the conservation and management of protected areas, safeguarding tropical forest biodiversity in forestry interventions including REDD+ projects, and improving the welfare of local communities and indigenous groups.

The results speak for themselves. Between 2011 and 2020, the initiative encompassed 16 projects with a total budget of about USD 13 million, conducted across 23 tropical countries. An independent review found that these projects achieved remarkable success in improving livelihoods, restoring degraded forests, and conserving biodiversity. ITTO and CBD have since renewed their MOU multiple times, most recently extending their collaboration to 2025.

The collaborative partnership on forests 🔗

ITTO has been a member of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) since its establishment in 2001. The CPF is a coalition of 16 international organisations – including FAO, UNEP, UNDP, the World Bank, IUCN, and CITES – that work together to promote sustainable forest management globally.

Within the CPF, ITTO is an active participant in the “Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World” initiative led by FAO, which explores the connections between forest management, value chains, livelihoods, and investment. This initiative contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to decent work, industry innovation, responsible consumption, climate action, and life on land.

Working with CITES on endangered tree species 🔗

ITTO collaborates closely with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to regulate and monitor the trade in threatened tropical tree species. Their joint work focuses on strengthening capacity to conserve and sustainably use tropical tree species listed in the CITES Appendixes. As more tree species face threats from overexploitation, this partnership has become increasingly important.

Partnering with UNCCD and the Green Climate Fund 🔗

ITTO’s partnership network extends to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as well. The two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024 committing to four more years of joint work on sustainable management of tropical forest landscapes. ITTO is also a Green Climate Fund accredited entity, working with GCF on programmes for forest landscape restoration, resilient livelihoods, and legal and sustainable timber supply chains that contribute to climate goals.

Why ITTO matters for the future of tropical forests 🔗

Tropical forests are under immense pressure from agricultural expansion, logging, mining, and climate change. The role of an organisation like ITTO – one that sits at the crossroads of trade, development, and conservation – is more important today than ever. By linking the economic interests of timber-producing and timber-consuming countries through binding agreements and voluntary cooperation, ITTO creates a space where sustainable forestry is not just an aspiration but an ongoing, practical effort.

The organisation’s field-oriented approach is a key strength. Rather than simply issuing policy declarations, ITTO has funded and assisted in the implementation of more than 1,200 projects addressing areas from forest restoration and biodiversity conservation to climate-change adaptation and the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. Each project represents a tangible step toward healthier forests and more sustainable trade.

As the global community works to meet the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ITTO’s blend of trade expertise, conservation commitment, and partnership-driven approach positions it as a key player in the effort to protect the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems.

What do you think? Can international trade agreements like the ITTA truly drive both economic growth and environmental sustainability, or do trade and conservation remain fundamentally in tension? How can organisations like ITTO better engage local and indigenous communities in decisions that affect their forests and livelihoods?

References

1. https://enb.iisd.org/negotiations/international-tropical-timber-council-ittc
2. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/forestry/international/forums/itto
3. https://www.cbd.int/article/improving-outcomes-for-biodiversity-and-people
4. https://www.itto.int/sustainable_development_goals/forest_partnerships/
5. https://www.greenclimate.fund/ae/itto