Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) forests and forestry have played an important role in the livelihoods of the people of the country for many years. Forests have provided a source for food, fruits and nuts, building materials, medicinal plants, habitats for refuge and a wealth of other services.
Increasingly throughout the years, and more so since the end of the Second World War, forests in the country have been exploited for their wood products, more particularly the timber. While still maintaining the main role of sustaining the livelihoods of rural people, forests have increasingly become the main source of revenue for the people (landowners), the Government and the timber industry.
There are many factors that have impacted on forests and forestry, but the key ones are the increasing population and people’s demands for development – due to lack of basic goods and services in the rural areas where most or all the forests are found. The increasing numbers of people need to be fed and hence more forests are being cleared each year, through shifting cultivation, to make gardens for food.
