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Consumer demand 'can influence sustainable forestry'
05/09/2012
Harvesting forestry sustainably and profitably is entirely possible, but requires consumers and businesses to pressurise governments into action.
This is view of The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), who have released a report entitled Wood for Good: Solutions for Deforestation-Free Wood Products, in which they analyse tropical wood production's effect on deforestation and assess the sustainable solutions.
Pipa Elias, UCS consultant and report author, commented: "The demand for tropical wood is growing globally, while more and more of the world’s tropical forests are disappearing.
"It is 100 per cent possible to harvest timber in the tropics profitably and sustainably. The main roadblock is a lack of political will. Businesses and consumers must demand responsibly manufactured products – giving governments and wood producers an incentive to expand sustainability efforts."
The solution to the issue as proposed in the report involves taking a threefold approach. Firstly, wood producers and businesses should turn to responsible plantation forests to harvest wood. Secondly, these sustainable plantations are best established on previously degraded lands and should be used for sustainable forest management practices, such as protecting the wildlife in the area. Finally, governments, businesses and consumers need to start demanding products certified by schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council to help maintain the profitability of the wood industry while protecting forests.
Ms Elias explained: "Consumers certainly have an important role to play in safeguarding tropical forests. Small, everyday choices like recycling and reducing the demand for new wood absolutely help to protect tropical forests."
This is view of The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), who have released a report entitled Wood for Good: Solutions for Deforestation-Free Wood Products, in which they analyse tropical wood production's effect on deforestation and assess the sustainable solutions.
Pipa Elias, UCS consultant and report author, commented: "The demand for tropical wood is growing globally, while more and more of the world’s tropical forests are disappearing.
"It is 100 per cent possible to harvest timber in the tropics profitably and sustainably. The main roadblock is a lack of political will. Businesses and consumers must demand responsibly manufactured products – giving governments and wood producers an incentive to expand sustainability efforts."
The solution to the issue as proposed in the report involves taking a threefold approach. Firstly, wood producers and businesses should turn to responsible plantation forests to harvest wood. Secondly, these sustainable plantations are best established on previously degraded lands and should be used for sustainable forest management practices, such as protecting the wildlife in the area. Finally, governments, businesses and consumers need to start demanding products certified by schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council to help maintain the profitability of the wood industry while protecting forests.
Ms Elias explained: "Consumers certainly have an important role to play in safeguarding tropical forests. Small, everyday choices like recycling and reducing the demand for new wood absolutely help to protect tropical forests."
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