International Wood International Wood 2017

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 INTERNATIONAL WOOD 13

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