ExpoBosques created a collaborative exchange network with the aim of communicating knowledge and promoting sustainable forest management

The Amazon region is the world’s largest tropical forest, accounts for 16% of the planet’s water wealth, contributes to regulating the global climate and is characterised by a high diversity of flora and fauna. However, according to MAAP, in Colombia 140,000 hectares were deforested in the Amazon in 2020, 53% more than in 2019, affecting communities in the area, protected areas and indigenous territories.
Given its importance, for several years communities, companies and institutions have been gathering experience which contribute to the sustainable management of these forests. This is where ExpoBosques comes in. The platform has been created to raise the visibility of those experiences and promote exchange.

ExpoBosques was organised by the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MinAmbiente), the ProBosques project of the German Agency for International Cooperation, GIZ, and in partnership with FAO, WWF, Corazón de la Amazonia, ONF Andina, Fondo Acción and the Norwegian Embassy.

The initiative developed a mobile and a web app, where more than 70 representatives of communities, social organisations, companies, institutions/entities, corporations, NGOs, among others, shared their stories, activities, impacts and contribution to Sustainable Forest Management.

The launch took place from 9 September to 13 October 2021, during which around 2,800 people explored the digital platforms, learning about experiences in forest management, human well-being and governance, value aggregation and marketing, forestry extension and financing, and digital tools.

Based on interactions between participants, exhibitors and visitors, the most popular experiences of ExpoBosques were invited to live forums that were held in all five categories. The exhibitors presented and discussed the challenges and impacts of the experiences, along with participants from MinAmbiente and special guests.

Overall, more than 3,300 people from different parts of Colombia and countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Germany, among others, participated in the launch event and the virtual forums.

Exchange network and institutionalisation

During the closing event, MinAmbiente, GIZ, some allies, the Sustainable Landscapes of the Amazon Programme -ASL- and the World Bank emphasised their efforts to create a sustainability strategy in which the platform should be established as a continuous source of information that grows over time and to which experiences of sustainable forest management in the country are added, encouraging the processes of replication and exchange.

This was highlighted by María del Mar Mozo, director of the department of Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of MinAmbiente «In view of the results achieved, from the Ministry of Environment, the GIZ, the allies and with new allies such as ASL and the World Bank, we are designing the path of sustainability and institutionalisation of ExpoBosques, with some actions currently in the making». 

Peter Saile, technical Advisor of the ProBosques project, also joined the closing ceremony, highlighting that «for Colombia to meet its growing demand for timber and non-timber forest products in the future, we will need a well-integrated vision between what natural forests offer and what planted forests will offer as alternatives and complements».

The continuation of this platform will benefit populations that can profit from the results of good practices and exchange of experiences in conservation and production, human well-being and governance, production and quality, use of digital tools and marketing. Next year a face-to-face version of ExpoBosques is planned, to continue expanding the exchange of experiences to other countries and regions.

The ExpoBosques mobile and web App is available at:

– Android: https://bit.ly/3ngqIXw

– IOS: https://apple.co/3l9RHBu

– Web version: https://probosquescolombia.org/expo-bosques/

– The forums are available at: https://probosquescolombia.org/multimedia/videos