Carlos Aravena, regional director of PymeMad Los Ríos, and Rocío Lagos, regional president of PymeMad Araucanía, represented the trade association at the meeting organized by Aprobosque, FSC Chile, CONAF, INFOR, and the Regional Government of Los Ríos.

The First Native Forest Summit: Conservation and Productivity for a Present with a Future, held in Valdivia, brought together regional and national authorities, representatives from academia, citizen organizations, and forest owners around the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of native forests in Chile.

"I found it to be a great opportunity to reduce information gaps regarding the conservation and productivity of native forests, as well as an appreciation of our own identity as a forest and rural region. The value of the timber forest industry was demystified with accurate data to move towards a nature-based sustainable balance and serve as an example for other regions and Chile," highlighted Aravena.

For her part, Lagos stated that "timber SMEs play a fundamental role in the sustainable management of native forests, and spaces like this summit allow us to dialogue with all actors in the forest ecosystem to build a shared vision that integrates conservation and productive development."

Among the milestones of the meeting was the signing of the National Agreement for the Native Forest, which brought together public, private, and civil society institutions with the commitment to advance a common agenda for its protection and responsible management.

The participation of both leaders reaffirms PymeMad's commitment to strengthening the forestry-timber sector and developing sustainable practices that integrate science, territory, and social value.