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Saving the Forest Through the Trees

The buttress roots of a giant bibosi tree in the Guarayos forest. By harvesting some trees, communities will save the entire forest.
In February 2005, Dorothy Stand, an American nun who had worked for decades to stop illegal logging, was gunned down in the Brazilian state of Para. Her murder turned international attention to the growing problems of illegal logging: Not only are tropical forests falling faster, but violence is escalating.

Should we then not buy tropical wood? Demand for precious South American hardwoods such as mahogany and cedar has pushed illegal loggers to these extreme measures. But not all of the trees are illegally cut. In fact, many communities are now managing their forests sustainably, selectively harvesting only some of the trees in order to save the forest. Buying from these sources is in fact actually helping to stop deforestation.

So how can we know if the wood we are buying is from treacherous illegal loggers or responsible forest managers? In the 1990s a new concept emerged: Forest Certification. If a community or private company demonstrates that they are embracing fair and sustainable forest management practices, they can gain international certification of their timber. Consumers now know that the wood or wood products that they purchase come from a well-managed forest, not an illegal logging outfit.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies the cedar and mahogany used by Taller Bolivia and Taller Guasase. This means that the trees were harvested legally and sustainably, that employees work under good and safe conditions, and that local communities benefit. So you can rest assured that buying their beautiful carvings is helping, not hurting the forests of Bolivia.`

For more information on forest certification, visit the Forest Stewardship Council or the Amazonic Center for Sustainable Forest Enterprise.

 

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