International Tropical Timber Organization

What International Tropical Timber Organization does

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1986 under the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA, first concluded in 1983) and headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. ITTO's mandate is the promotion of sustainable management, conservation, and trade of tropical timber, with roughly 40 years of operational experience spanning Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The organization serves member countries comprising both tropical timber producers and consumers, alongside forest-dependent communities, government forestry agencies, and multilateral partners.

ITTO's product portfolio combines information services, policy guidelines, and capacity-building programs. Core products include the Market Information Service (MIS) — bimonthly bulletins covering indicative prices for over 400 tropical timber products with archives from 1988 — the Global Timber Index (GTI) tracking sector performance across ten pilot countries, the Tropical Forest Update quarterly newsletter, and policy documents such as the 2020 Guidelines for Forest Landscape Restoration in the Tropics. Capacity-building products include the Fellowship Programme (1,400+ alumni from 50 countries since 1989), the Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains E-course (with FAO and IUFRO, launched 2021), and regional FLR training modules. Collaborative programs include the ITTO-CITES Programme, the ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity, and the Global Forest Education Project.

ITTO operates as a non-commercial entity funded by assessed member contributions and voluntary donor contributions (Japan is the primary host/donor). All services — publications, market reports, guidelines, fellowship — are provided free of charge. Governance is exercised through the International Tropical Timber Council and associated committees, which meet annually. Distribution is primarily digital through itto.int, supplemented by council sessions, regional workshops, webinars, and joint initiatives with partners including CBD, CITES, IUCN, FAO, IUFRO, AFoCO, CATIE, FSC, SFI, UNCCD, UN-REDD, and the Green Climate Fund.

Name

International Tropical Timber Organization

Legal name

International Tropical Timber Organization

Website

https://itto.int

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Intergovernmental organization founded in 1986 that promotes sustainable management and trade of tropical timber through market information services, policy guidelines, and a fellowship programme, serving member countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Forestry Governance and Sustainable Tropical Timber Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland Asset Management & Consulting (AFAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland Asset Management (Institutional/Private) (AFAMAKAA), Timberland Conservation & Easement Management (AFAMAKAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable forest management
• Tropical timber trade
• Forest landscape restoration
• Timber market information
• Biodiversity conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Contributions: ITTO is an intergovernmental organization funded by contributions from its member countries (both producing and consuming countries of tropical timber).
2. Voluntary Contributions: Voluntary contributions from donor countries and organizations, particularly Japan which hosts the headquarters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ITTO is an intergovernmental organization that promotes the sustainable management, use, and trade of tropical timber and forests. It delivers policy guidelines, market intelligence, capacity-building programs (such as the Fellowship Programme), and project support for sustainable forest management across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Its core outputs include bimonthly tropical timber market reports, a quarterly newsletter, a multi-country timber index, and internationally recognized guidelines for forest landscape restoration.

Product overview

ITTO operates as an intergovernmental organization offering a portfolio of information products and services focused on sustainable tropical forest management and tropical timber trade. The core offerings include the Market Information Service (MIS) providing twice-monthly tropical timber market reports with price data for 400+ products; the Tropical Forest Update (TFU) quarterly newsletter; and the Global Timber Index (GTI) tracking timber sector performance across pilot countries. Supporting services include a Fellowship Programme for forestry professionals, the Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains e-course, Guidelines for Forest Landscape Restoration, the ITTO-CITES Programme, and the ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for biodiversity. Additional resources include project search tools, statistics databases, and training modules for Congo Basin timber supply chains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Market Information Service (MIS) Bimonthly bulletins providing tropical timber market news and price trends from around the world, with indicative prices for over 400 tropical timber and added-value products from major tropical timber producers.
• Tropical Forest Update (TFU) Quarterly newsletter published in English, French, and Spanish promoting the conservation and sustainable development of tropical forests.
• Global Timber Index (GTI) ITTO-supported index tracking the performance of the timber sector in ten pilot countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• ITTO Fellowship Programme Programme providing opportunities for young and mid-career professionals to strengthen expertise and expand professional networks in tropical forestry since 1989, benefiting over 1,400 professionals from 50 countries.
• Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains (LSSC) E-course Online learning course on legal and sustainable timber supply chains developed in partnership with FAO and IUFRO through the Global Forest Education Project.
• Guidelines for Forest Landscape Restoration in the Tropics Policy guidelines providing six principles and 32 guidelines for forest landscape restoration implementation, developed in collaboration with IUFRO.
• ITTO-CITES Programme Collaborative programme supporting conservation and sustainable use of tropical timber species through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
• ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity Joint initiative for tropical forest biodiversity conservation supporting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework implementation.
• SFM Tropics Sustainable Forest Management resources and information portal for tropical forestry.
• Statistics Database Biennial review statistics database providing comprehensive data on tropical timber markets and forest management.
• Project and Concept-note Search Online search tool for ITTO projects and concept notes for donor consideration.

Quantifiable outcome

• ITTO projects have supported cooperative management of approximately 10 million hectares of transboundary forests
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ODEF (L'Office de Développement et d'Exploitation des Forêts)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026ITTO collaborated with Togo's ODEF to convene a regional workshop on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) guidelines dissemination in Africa from 23-26 June 2026 in Lomé, Togo. The workshop included participants from 11 African countries.
• CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026ITTO and CBD Secretariat renewed their partnership to 2029 to support implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Joint ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity was established to conserve tropical forest biodiversity.
• AFoCO (Asian Forest Cooperation Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2021Jointly organized online workshops on Forest Landscape Restoration in the Asia-Pacific region, August-September 2021. Over 70 restoration practitioners participated in training on ITTO's FLR Guidelines.
• CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Centre for Research and Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2021Jointly hosted webinar on Forest Landscape Restoration for Central America and Mexico, part of a global FLR training series. Approximately 70 FLR experts from Central American countries and Mexico participated.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking on a revised edition of the 'Guidelines for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Tropical Timber Production Landscapes', originally published in 1993 and revised in 2009, to be published in late 2026.
• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly organized the webinar 'The Business of Biodiversity' with FSC and SFI to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework implementation.
• SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly organized the webinar 'The Business of Biodiversity' with FSC and CBD Secretariat to support biodiversity mainstreaming in the forestry sector.
• IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on developing FLR (Forest Landscape Restoration) learning modules for high school and university students. Produced four learning modules with presentations and materials for educators and students.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Global Forest Education Project along with ITTO and IUFRO, which offers the e-course on Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains launched in June 2021.
• Green Climate Fund (GCF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCF representatives participated in FLR workshops addressing the role of forest landscape restoration in climate change adaptation and mitigation, and financing mechanisms for FLR projects.
• CITEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITTO-CITES Programme working on timber species conservation and trade regulation through the Joint ITTO-CITES Programme.
• UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITTO joins UNCCD and the global community in recognizing the role of rangelands in building climate resilience, ensuring food and water security, conserving biodiversity, and preserving cultural heritage.
• UN-REDDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanisms and forest conservation initiatives.
• AIDER (Peru)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerITTO collaborates with AIDER in Peru on sustainable forest management and forest landscape restoration, supporting improved income from forests for local communities.
• Association for Integrated Research and Development (India)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing a forest landscape restoration project in northern Peru's dry forest region, aiming to reduce deforestation and land degradation based on FLR principles.
• Kasetsart University (Thailand)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerITTO partnered with Kasetsart University on the project to promote sustainable domestic consumption of wood products in Thailand, strengthening timber market and supply chains.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification): Global umbrella certification system for sustainable forestry, including tropical timber producing countries; competes with FSC and parallels ITTO's role in promoting sustainable forest management practices internationally.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): UN agency whose Forestry Division works on sustainable forest management, global forest assessments, and supply-chain legality — directly overlapping with ITTO's mandate and an active ITTO partner on the Global Forest Education Project.
• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species): UN treaty regulating trade in endangered timber species; runs the Joint ITTO-CITES Programme supporting tropical timber species conservation and trade regulation directly with ITTO.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Global authority on biodiversity conservation and natural resource management; works on tropical forest biodiversity guidelines and is a current ITTO partner revising the ITTO/IUCN biodiversity guidelines for tropical timber production landscapes.
• WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Forest Programme: Major international conservation NGO with deep tropical forest programs (Amazon, Congo Basin, Southeast Asia) and sustainable forestry market initiatives (e.g., NYDF, forest trade work); parallels ITTO's mission of sustainable forest management and trade.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): UN treaty body setting global biodiversity targets (Kunming-Montreal GBF); runs the Joint ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity, directly co-implementing programs with ITTO through 2029.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Global forest certification system setting standards for sustainable forest management; collaborates with ITTO on biodiversity webinars and overlapping with ITTO's market-development and SFM guidance work for tropical producers.

Emerging players

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization running Global Forest Watch and major tropical forestry data/analysis programs; overlaps with ITTO's market and forest information services in producing independent tropical forestry intelligence.
• Rainforest Alliance: International NGO working on sustainable forestry certification, tropical agriculture, and supply-chain sustainability; overlaps with ITTO's tropical timber trade and forest landscape restoration work, particularly in producer countries.

Broad incumbents

• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme): UN body coordinating global environmental policy with broader mandate spanning climate, biodiversity, and pollution; engages on tropical forests through related frameworks and is comparable as a major intergovernmental environmental coordinator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ittosfm/videos
• Instagraminstagram.com/itto_sfm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/itto-sfm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Tropical Timber Organization