Tropical Forest Trust News Feed

New video out! A visit by Leroy Merlin France and Adeo Services to the Brazilian Amazon

2010-03-10T00:00:00+01:00

Follow TFT member companies Leroy Merlin France and Adeo Services in the Brazilian Amazon as they find out about the work on the ground in a forest managed with TFT's support.

See the film here .

TFT presents at ECOngress in Las Vegas, ahead of next Lacey Act phase in April

2010-03-09T00:00:00+01:00

The ECOngress on Legal Wood Sourcing & Building Green Markets was held on Sunday, 31 January in Las Vegas. The half day event was organized by the Sustainable Furnishings Council, a non-profit coalition of industry players founded in October 2006. Its aim is to promote sustainable practices among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike. Currently over 400 members are part of the Council.

Other organisers included The Forest Trust, World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest Alliance, Forest Stewardship Council - US, and other leading governmental, environmental, academic and trade organizations.

TFT's presents the support available to companies

Thirteen speaker panellists from leading academic, governmental, environmental, industry and media organizations including The Forest Trust, World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest Alliance among others.

TFT CEO Scott Poynton presented how the TFT model operates, from a full supply chain assessment, knowing the origin of all wood, and looking for alternatives where necessary - bringing wood out of forests, through factories, and to retail floors.

He explained how Lacey Act can seem frightening and overwhelming, but with systems, like TFT's put in place, the company can much more easily meet Lacey requirements.

His participation was key at the event, because it got companies to realize that they need to, and can, get their supply chains legal, Lacey compliant, and to FSC.

Scott says:

"I very much enjoyed the ECOngress and full marks to SFC for organizing what was a great event. The participants really got very actively engaged in the discussions and whilst it's clear that many have some work to do to become compliant under the Lacey Act, many understood where TFT could assist them in that journey.

We've had a number of follow-up leads from the event and we look forward to building our relationship with the people at SFC who really do share our values".

From L-R Scott Poynton, Jeff Hiller, Mark Haynes, Margaret Casey, Roger Jones, Antonio Larosa. Both photos courtesy -World Market Center Las Vegas.

Timely event as the last phase of the Lacey Act will come into effect next month

More than 100 attendees participated in discussion dealing with Policy, Manufacturing and Marketing. Topics covered policy changes, legislation and enforcement, engaging with suppliers, securing safe supply, manufacturing and retail concerns, and ultimately how to make it comprehensible and compelling to the consumer.

The event had information regarding every point in the supply chain as to the importance of known legal origin and responsible forestry for wood products. Participants learned about tools, solutions, and issues of vital importance given the impending next phase of Lacey Act declaration requirements that will be effective this April. The Lacey Act is a U.S. law amended in 2008 banning commerce in illegally sourced plants and their products, including wood and paper products.

This April, furniture items will be included in Lacey declarations requirements reinforcing grounds for legal prosecution of entities importing, transporting, selling or purchasing products using illegally harvested or traded wood from the U.S. or abroad. Companies must now consider the legality of all timber products put on the market and not wait to be caught up by legislation.

New book released evaluating forest certification in the tropics

2010-03-08T00:00:00+01:00

Marielos Peña-Claros, Stijn Blommerde & Frans Bongers recently published "Assessing the progress made: an evaluation of forest management certification in the tropics".

Forest management certification is a market based conservation initiative aiming to promote the environmental appropriate, socially beneficial, and economical viable management of forests. Certification schemes are based on a set of Principles and Criteria used to evaluate the performance of forest management units (FMU) and to determine if the FMU should be certified or not.

TFT is a strong supporter of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and we welcome this research on the impact of certification. For the ten years we have been working in the field, we have been witness to the many benefits certification can foster, but also the difficulties in achieving this coveted recognition.

Impact of certification

This study analyzed the evaluation reports of 123 Forest Management Units (FMUs) managing natural tropical forests that are certified under the scheme of the Forest Stewardship Council and it followed through time the list of corrective actions required by evaluators to a subset of FMUs.

These approaches allowed the authors to assess the impact of certification on forest management, to determine if issues raised in the list of actions are solved by the FMUs through time, and to evaluate factors that influence the impact of forest management certification at the country and the regional level.

Promising conclusions

The study demonstrated that there are promising results, which indicated strongly that forest management certification improves the working standards of FMUs in the tropics.

The improvement can be seen in the fact that fewer problems are identified in FMUs getting currently certified than when the certification movement started. This trend indicates that forest management is improving even before the FMUs are getting certified. Additionally the authors found that about 98% of the problems raised are solved during the first five years of certification, while aspects that are permanently reviewed by the evaluation team are in 82% of the cases dealt with satisfactorily.

The results of the study indicate that certification is having a large impact on the long-term sustainability of forest management. This is the case because the FMUs are requested to improve their monitoring systems and to incorporate the results of the monitoring system into their management practices.

More incentives and more attention to local communities and indigenous groups are needed

The authors also add that there is a need for incentives to increase the total area certified in tropical forests. Both the certified area and the number of certified FMUs have increased rapidly since 2003, but it is necessary to keep promoting that FMUs opt for certification if certification is to help promote the conservation and better and more sustainable management of tropical forests.

The authors add that one stakeholder group that needs special attention are local communities or indigenous groups as they have been often been given legal access to forests in recent years in several tropical countries. They need strong support not only on technical aspects but also on administrative, institutional, and financial aspects. This is a conclusion that TFT has also found to be the case.

Download it here.

The products we buy change us and our world

2010-03-08T00:00:00+01:00

"Every product comes with a story. Once we buy a product, its story becomes part of our story. "

Read Scott Poynton's latest blog in the Huffington Post. Find out about the link between the Indonesian farmers and the American consumers.

"In the developed world, we see the negative impact that our consumption can have on people living on the other side of the globe. And they witness our sense of entitlement. Regardless of where we live, our actions either help our planet or contribute to its destruction. They enhance or diminish our stories."

Latest TTAP newsletter is available!

2010-03-04T00:00:00+01:00

Find out the latest developments on the TTAP project and current news on timber legality issues.

Topics covered In this March issue include :

TTAP support available to all EU TTF members
Portuguese TTF AIMMP signs TTAP MOU
"Conscious with Timber", new Dutch Action Plan for sustainable timber
Keurhout accepts SmartWood VLO and VLC
Gabon log ban revised
and more...

Download the newsletter here.

CES: les premières impressions des étudiants de la deuxième promotion/ CSE: first impressions of the students from the second session

2010-03-01T00:00:00+01:00

Les étudiants de la deuxième promotion du Centre Social d'Excellence sont arrivés à Yaoundé.
See English below

Voici leurs premières impressions!

Jacques: «Je suis ravi de l'accueil. Le premier module en Anthropologie m'a édifié sur le sujet. C'est un enseignement participatif: l'enseignant laisse à l'étudiant le temps de s'exprimer sur le sujet, c'est bien. Aussi, tout le monde vient de domaines variés. Cela permet de s'imprégner du background des autres.»

Julien: «L'ambiance est bonne. On s'est familiarisés. On a démarré sur les chapeaux de roues. Je n'avais jamais fait d'anthropologie avant et ça me plait. On se sent bien ici.»

Loïc: « Très bonne impression. J'apprécie l'ambiance de l'équipe du CES et du groupe d'étudiants. Même si on est sous pression, on arrive à surmonter tout ça grâce au climat qui règne et la motivation.»

Arlette: «Formation très bien. Le programme est bien calé, à la hauteur de mes attentes. La suite du programme est alléchante. Avec ça, le champs de compétence est très ouvert pour la suite.»

Tatiana: «Je me retrouve dans une famille. Malgré le fait qu'il y ait beaucoup de travail, on ne ressent pas trop l'éloignement ni la nostalgie.»

Serge: «Impressions très bonnes. Climat de convivialité avec le groupe et aussi avec les intervenants. Je ne sens pas trop le manque du Congo. J'ai une famille camerounaise, gabonaise, congolaise et même française ici. Je suis à l'aise».

Elie: «L'ambiance au CES est assez bonne. Le cadre de travail est propice; le système pédagogique permet d'assimiler beaucoup de choses. C'est différent de tout ce que j'ai connu avant. Il permet d'apprendre vite et de travailler intensément.»

Alphonse: «C'est un établissement qui cherche à atteindre ses ambitions d'excellence. La formation est de courte durée, donc intensive: cela demande beaucoup d'efforts. Pour moi qui suis nouveau, c'est une découverte dans tous les sens du terme. Je vais pouvoir accomplir les tâches qui me reviennent de manière satisfaisante.»

The students of the second Session at the Centre of Social Excellence have arrived in Yaoundé.

Here are their first impressions!

Jacques: «I am delighted with the welcome. The first module in Anthropology has really enlightened me on the subject. It is a participative teaching: the tutor leaves the student time to express himself on the subject, it is good. Also, everybody has different experience. It allows us to soak in others' background.»

Julien: «The atmosphere is good. We got familiarised. We shot off at top speed. I had never read anthropology before and I like it. I feel good here.»

Loïc: « Very good impression. I enjoy the atmosphere with the CSE team and the students' group. Even though we are under pressure, we can overcome all this thanks to a good atmospheres and motivation.»

Arlette: «Very good training. The programme is set at the right level regarding my expectations. The next part of the programme is attractive. With this, the scope of my abilities is wide open for the future.»

Tatiana: «I feel like in a family. Despite the fact that there is a lot of work, I do not feel remote or nostalgic.»

Serge: «Impressions are very good; atmosphere is convivial with the group and also with the tutors. I do not miss Congo too much. I have a Cameroonian, Gabonese, Congolese and even French family here. I feel at ease.»

Elie: «The atmosphere at the CSE is rather good. The framework is conducive; the pedagogic system allows assimilating a lot. It is different from everything I have known before. It allows for fast learning and intensive work.»

Alphonse: «This is an establishment that aims to reach excellence. The training is short, but intensive: it requires a lot of efforts. For me, who am new, it is a discovery in every sense of the world. I will be able to accomplish my tasks in a satisfactory manner.»

CES: appel à candidature pour la 3e session

2010-02-25T00:00:00+01:00

Le Centre d'Excellence Sociale cherche ses étudiants pour la troisième session (début en juin 2010).

Pour plus d'information, voir la page du CES, et télécharger les documents de présentation.

Délai d'acceptation des dossiers: 11 avril 2010 inclus

Workshop held at the UK office – Due Diligence and EU Legislation – How will it affect timber sector companies?

2010-02-22T00:00:00+01:00

The EU is proposing a new regulation for those who place timber and timber products on the European market, in order to help address the trade in illegal wood products.

Companies placing timber products on EU markets will be expected to adopt a 'due diligence system' approach to minimize the risk of importing illegal timber into EU. This regulation could be passed as early as June 2010.

On the 18^th of February, the TFT UK office held a workshop aiming to inform TFT members and non members of how the regulation will affect their business and the measures they may to have to take in order to adhere to the changes.

After a warm welcome and introduction by Hilary Thompson (TFT Director), the discussions started with Alison Campbell from DEFRA's Department of International Forestry and Biofuels, who gave a presentation on the current state of play with the draft regulations, and remaining issues that need to be resolved before the regulation is passed. This gave an insight as to where the process stands at present, the main issues discussed in the Council Working Group, and the aspects of the regulation that are likely to pass in to European law.

After a Q&A session and lunch, Hilary presented some of the ways in which TFT will be helping to prepare members for the new regulation. This could potentially include TFT becoming a Monitoring Organisation, or working with businesses to help set up Due Diligence systems. The purpose of this would be to ensure processes are in place to comply with the requirements of the new law.

Peter Cox (Member Program Manager) continued, and discussed various case studies of prosecutions that have arisen from existing environmental laws such as Lacey Act and CITES. Our newly recruited Greg Lambe (Senior Program Manager) followed Peter with a presentation on the current views of the stakeholders involved ranging from dark green NGO's, to timber trade federations.

The day was rounded off by discussions and Hilary gave an outline of the future of TFT and working with Forest Responsible Products.

Whilst some features of the regulation are still to be decided, such as penalties and the roles of monitoring organisations, the workshop provided information and practical solutions as to how European businesses may meet the necessary due diligence requirements.

For any further questions on the EU proposed regulation, and how TFT can help you, contact us.

Big business leaves big forest footprints, anyone for a Rainforest picnic ? an Amazon breakfast ?

2010-02-17T00:00:00+01:00

Consumers around the globe are not aware that they are "eating" rainforests ! See how many of our every-day purchases are driving the destruction of the vital tropical ecosystems. Taken from the BBC news website.

Next time you are in a supermarket picking up a chicken sandwich for lunch, or fancy tucking in to a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage and bacon before setting off for work, spare a thought for the Amazon.

Consumers "eat" rainforests each day - in the form of beef-burgers, bacon and beauty products - but without knowing it.

The delivery mechanism is a global supply chain with its feet in the forests and its hands in the till.

Because of growing demand for beef, soy and palm oil, which are in much of what we consume, as well as timber and biofuels, rainforests are worth more cut down than standing up.

TFT is helping companies bring responsible products to market, but at the other end, consumers must help us demanding to know where the products they buy are coming from and that these are not damaging forests or harming forest inhabitants and wildlife.

Read this extremely informative and lively article on the BBC website.

Biso na Biso newsletter is out!

2010-02-17T00:00:00+01:00

The latest newsletter is out! French and English versions are available, largely illustrated.
Download the pdfs here (PDF FR - EN).

The newsletter highlights events in the first year of Biso na Biso's existence. The radio has become a true tool reinforcing links between the communities, a communication relay for the CIB and valuable development vector for the target populations.

Read about the participatory management structure, find out more about Alossi Marcel, one of the coordinator, and find out what are Biso na Biso nights!

Also find out more about Privat, the radio's manager here [PDF].

Interview with Susanna Lohri, Project Officer for the Timber Trade Action Plan

2010-02-16T00:00:00+01:00

The UK Timber Trade Federation newsletter features every month actors in the timber sector, this month meet TFT staff Susanna Lohri, working on the Timber Trade Action Plan.

Download the extract of the newsletter on Susanna here, or download the whole February issue from the TTF website here.

As the CSE Pioneer Promotion successfully reaches the end of the first training session, a new branch opens in Yaoundé!

2010-02-15T00:00:00+01:00

February 2010: The first group of six students have just finished their 9-month training session at the Centre of Social Excellence (CSE).

They have presented their final reports and conclusions on the practical work they undertook in their host companies and the research component that comprised their final CSE thesis. These reports form a large part of the final grades they have received and are the basis for the successful award of the CSE final certificate.

The students have now graduated; the Graduation Ceremony took place on the Sunday 7 February in the afternoon at the beautiful park and conference centre of Bois Saint Anastasie in central Yaoundé.

Approximately 35 guests-invitees attended, among whom the proud families of the graduates, several CSE visiting teaching staff, representatives from local organizations and universities, and TFT staff.

The ceremony and awarding of certificates was followed by Champagne toast and a delicious buffet of Cameroonian specialty dishes. Each student received a Swiss army knife as a small gift from TFT Switzerland that should be useful in their future work in the forest!

Marianne Martinet, CSE project officer, acted as Master of Ceremony. TFT's Dr. Norbert Gami, Anthropologist and Social Expert, greeted guests and presented TFT, the CSE and its mission. Liz Forest, as representative of TFT Switzerland, read a statement from TFT's Executive Director Scott Poynton who was unable to be present at the landmark event. Dr. Alphonse Kabré, the CSE's new Director of Studies, and Dr. Jerome Lewis, anthropology professor at University College London and external adviser to the CSE, were also present.

Immediately thereafter, each of the 6 CSE graduates made a short 15 minute presentation on the work they undertook during their five-month internship with a partner forest company and then fielded questions from the audience.

This portion of the afternoon lasted much longer than anticipated as the audience interest in the students' work led to many questions (all answered quite expertly) and a very lively debate on responsible forest practices, the role and responsibility of national authorities in forest management, and the rights and situation of indigenous forest communities in the Congo Basin.

As one session ends, the next is starting!

At the same time the first students graduate, the second group of students are being welcomed at the CSE. The theoretical classroom portion of the CSE training will now take place in Yaoundé at the new CSE branch in the Etoi Méki neighborhood. The practical field work will continue to take place in various sites in Congo-Brazzaville.

In addition to a new branch for the CSE, TFT is also pleased to announce the arrival of a new Study Director for the CSE, Dr. Alphonse Kabré.

Alphonse joins TFT from Burkina Faso where he has worked extensively in environmental education. In taking up the post, Alphonse becomes the principal interlocutor for the students at the CSE.

He is responsible for all pedagogical support and will manage the administration and logistics for the teacher-trainers and the CSE's annual calendar of studies. Dr. Norbert Gami, TFT's social expert, will continue to support the CSE from his office in Brazzaville, and most notably for all field work.

Les Pygmées et les forêts au Congo: la primatologue Emmanuelle Grundmann parle de Biso na Biso sur RFI

2010-02-12T00:00:00+01:00

Emmanuelle Grundmann est allée à la rencontre des Pygmées Baka, un peuple de chasseurs-cueilleurs au sud-est du Cameroun. Elle parle des activités de TFT en particulier de Biso na Biso.

Ecoutez l'entretien sur Radio France Internationale, dans le cadre de l’émission « c’est pas du vent » avec Emmanuelle Grundmann, primatologue.

Aller sur le site de RFI pour écouter l’entretien.

Elle témoigne d’une culture dont le sort est intimement lié à celui de la forêt et appelle à une gestion raisonnée de cette forêt qu’il convient de sauvegarder. Elle parle en particulier de la destruction qui résulte des monocultures de palmier à huile et le péril qui touche pour les orang-utans.

Les plantations de palmiers à huile les plus petites recouvrent au moins 10 000 hectares. Elles sont vides, toute la faune a disparu, c’est le silence, il n’y a plus d’insectes d’oiseaux. Les forêts qui a perdu ses espèces « commerciales » sont brûlées et remplacées par des palmiers à huile. Les palmiers sont productifs pendant environ 20 – 25 ans et sont ensuite abandonnés. Le sol est fertile et ne peut plus être exploité donc des palmiers sont plantés sur une autre parcelle, et le cycle recommence.

Les Pygmées Baka vivent « l’épisode de leur culture » alors que les forêts disparaissent. Elle nous rappelle que la biodiversité, « c’est aussi les hommes qui vivent dans la forêt et de la forêt ». Ils utilisent plus de 600 plantes, et 392 de celles-ci sont des plantes médicinales. Ils sont depuis plus de 10 000 ans dans la région et ont un savoir qui devient de plus en plus important. En particulier l’industrie pharmaceutique s’y intéresse de très près. Grundmann parle de « bio piraterie », elle dit que la pharma pie la « malle au trésor », et déplore le « néo colonialisme économique »

La primatologue regrette le regard souvent négatif sur les peuples chasseurs-cueilleurs. Les autochtones, chasseurs cueilleurs sont souvent considérés comme des citoyens de seconde zone, voire pas des citoyens du tout. De plus, les autochtones sont difficilement fédérés dû à leur situation géographique isolée.

Lorsque la journaliste demande à Grundmann s’il y a des solutions, elle parle de la radio Biso na Biso et des activités de TFT, de notre travail avec les entreprises et de la cartographie participative comme solution.

TFT is recruiting!

2010-02-10T00:00:00+01:00

As TFT is expanding in North America as well as opening a new office in India, there are now three new job opportunities advertised on our Vacancies page.

Senior Program Manager in North America

The TFT works with retailers and importers in Europe, Asia and the U.S and is currently seeking to recruit a Senior Program Manager based in North America, reporting to the Member Program Director in the UK. The key functions will be to provide an excellent level of support to current TFT Members and business partners trading in wood product, linking their supply chains to TFT forest projects; to expand the scope of TFT in N America among potential Members and potential business partners, and to spread the reach of TFT in North America by further developing our presence there.

Forest Officer and Wood Control System Officer in India

TFT has opportunities to expand its presence in India to support sustainable forest management and FSC certification, and to link forest products into the international market for certified and responsibly produced products.

The TFT Forester will be responsible for the implementation of the forest management activities under the direction of the TFT India Program Manager and through guidance from the Field Support Team in Europe.

The TFT WCS Officer will be responsible for visiting and auditing TFT member factories and implementing wood control systems. This will be under the direction of the TFT WCS Program Team Leader and through guidance from the Field Support Team in Europe.

New article out in Scientific American reveals consequences of product choices on forests: “City Dwellers Drive Deforestation in 21st Century

2010-02-09T00:00:00+01:00

Researchers at Columbia University using satellite images are saying that, at least for the first five years of the 21st century, big block clearings reflecting industrial deforestation to feed ever larger cities have come to dominate, rather than smaller-scale efforts that leave behind long, narrow swaths of cleared land.

The authors say: "What we're seeing is a shift from small-scale farmers driving deforestation to distant demands from urban growth, agricultural trade and exports being more important drivers."

Image: NASA

This block deforestation is caused by the ongoing increase in consumption in the developed world and demand for products that have an impact on forests, whether furniture, shoe leather or chicken fed on soy.

Consumers favouring responsibly sourced products can have a direct effect on the forest. TFT is already helping retailers put responsible timber on the market and is now also starting to work with retailers to help them bring responsible palm oil, leather and beef onto the market.

Read the full article here.