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Iwokrama is not immune from the effects of climate change. Increases in
temperature and changes in precipitation for example will have impacts On a global scale, maintaining a healthy and ecologically balanced forest is
essential. The world’s great forests provide an essential service regulating
greenhouse gas emissions and providing a natural carbon-sink. We all have a duty to maintain and protect forests such as Iwokrama for the direct benefit of our own generation and for generations to come. Losing the world’s forests will have significant effects on our climate. At a time when carbon-offsetting by planting trees has become the new ‘black’ it seems nonsensical to be losing forests and failing to manage them
sustainable.
Iwokrama is a living classroom, showing how the world’s forests and their resources can be managed
sustainable. It can, with some justification, claim to be the world’s largest outdoor research facility. The impacts of a changing climate will be far reaching and we do not know what undiscovered resources Iwokrama possesses that may help the world adapt; for example providing medicines to treat new diseases.
Iwokrama should be seen by business as a major asset. In particular those
companies developing and selling products deriving from the wealth of a forest’s natural resources should consider the management of a forest, such as Iwokrama, as a required extension of their corporate governance policies. Sustainable management of such forests is required to provide business with the ‘seed stock’ for their future growth and to secure returns for their investors. The sustainability of a number of business sectors is most directly linked to the sustainability of forests like Iwokrama. Four sectors stand-out:
● Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
● Agriculture and food
● Tourism
● Timber products
For these business sectors in particular, Iwokrama is emblematic of the source of much of their future business growth – a new medicine, a plant to feed the world. Supporting forest assets of global importance, such as Iwokrama, makes simple business sense.
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