International Wood International Wood 2017 | Page 13
that depend on the forests for their livelihoods.
We strive to create a business environment in
which these communities see more benefit
in maintaining and protecting the rich
biodiversity around them than in converting
those lands to intensive agriculture activities.
What are some specific steps consumers and
specifiers can take to promote sustainability when
purchasing wood products?
The first step is having the courage to take part
in the challenge of stopping deforestation by
supporting proactive initiatives. You can’t fix
a problem by looking away and only buying
substitutes.
Most non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) recognize the facts that buying certi-
fied wood coming from sustainably managed
forests contributes to rainforest protection.
There are numerous guidelines from NGOs
and trade groups that educate consumers on
how to purchase responsibly-sourced timber.
Understanding these guidelines often gets
more difficult the farther you get from the
forest, but customers throughout the supply
chain are getting more and more aware of the
traceability systems. Purchasers should ask
their supplier for certificates and other avail-
able information showing that the timber
they buy comes from well-managed forests.
that the wood has been tested and approved
by laboratories prior to suggesting it to our
customers based on their specific application.
Because the use of lesser known timber species
must first make good business sense, we have
also always made sure that the products also
present economic advantages to our custom-
ers. Asking for a certified lesser known timber
species is perhaps the best action that consum-
ers or contractors can take to reduce illegal
logging and promote sustainable sourcing. IW
Are there sustainability trends you’ve seen emerge
over the course of your career?
Implementing responsible practices implies
additional costs for the forest operators. Some
argue that end users are unwilling to pay
a premium to cover these additional costs.
Historically, many of the pioneers in sustain-
ability have not been rewarded by the market,
but we are beginning to feel some positive
changes in the last several years. This positive
change is at least partially due to consumers
expressing more directly their demand for
concrete actions against climate change and
deforestation. This is why it is so important
that we explain the positive impacts of sus-
tainable forest management practices.
Sustainable forest management practices have
officially been approved as a forest conser-
vation mechanism under the Paris Climate
Agreement and were already promoted under
the UN’s New York Declaration on Forests.
Consumer behavior reinforced by public
sector initiatives is supporting this positive
trend but it should still be accelerated because
forest land continues to be converted to other
uses each year.
How has Precious Woods worked to build demand
for lesser known timber species?
The courage and trust of our customers is
critical. Each species has its own technical
characteristics. We have always made sure
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