LCB Conferences on Certified Tropical Timber

« Choose certified tropical timber and save the rainforest! «

Thanks to the support of the European Foundation for Sustainable Development (IDH) and the Coalition for the Promotion of Certified Tropical Timber (STTC), the French trade association Le Commerce du Bois (LCB) organized three conferences aimed at raising the awareness of prescribers (architects , design offices, landscapers …) on the choice of tropical wood.

These conferences focused on four themes:

the commitment of manufacturers to certification: many industrial companies (Rougier, Pasquet …) have given their testimony on their commitment to certification at all levels of the value chain. Upstream, forest managers who choose eco-certification are not only committed to protecting the environment, but also to regional development, with the implementation of health, education and training infrastructures and access to resources (like drinkable water). Importers have also put forward their choices for better traceability and the promotion of certified timber to their customers.

the environmental and social benefits guaranteed by the labels (WWF): after having recalled the origin of the certification, which was created to guarantee, thanks to a third party, the implementation of good practices, the WWF presented the standards of the FSC, as well as studies or tools to illustrate the positive impact of certification. Indeed, all the indicators are green for the social, environmental and economic aspects. For example, great apes end up with the same concentration (or higher) in eco-certified concessions than in protected areas (national parks, regional parks, etc.). The central idea is that by conserving the economic value of forests through sustainable management, we protect them from conversion to farmland.

the natural and remarkable properties of tropical woods and their uses (ATIBT): through the consumption of certified tropical woods, professionals support a sustainable industry and have at their disposal a material with exceptional qualities. The use of wood meets the basic principle of « the right wood for the right place ». Indeed, we must choose a wood according to the requirements of the final use by looking at the properties of wood to find the one that is most suitable. These different properties make it possible to judge the quality of a wood and they condition its behavior in its environment, its reaction to the constraints of the environment. Unlike temperate forests, tropical forests have an exceptional diversity (50,000 species against 400). The environment is very favorable to the development of flora, only the species with exceptional qualities (chemical composition, mechanical resistance …) have managed to develop.

the traceability of wood from sustainably managed forests (LCB): to find certified timber, it is important to know the reliability of the various market players and the traceability of their products. Le Commerce du Bois presents a directory of suppliers of tropical timber, with an evaluation of their commitments and their due diligence. Other tools available on the LCB website provide information for risk analysis.

The first conference was held on November 23 in La Rochelle, and two other meetings were held on November 28 in Caen and November 30 in Nogent-sur-Marne, in the offices of ATIBT.

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LCB Conferences on Certified Tropical Timber