Finnforest UK will soon take delivery of the first shipment of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified hardwood plywood from the Green Acre project in Brazil.
The plywood, manufactured by Laminados Triunfo in Acre, is the product of a state programme to encourage local communities to practice sustainable forest management on public land – providing them with revenue and securing the future of the forests. The scheme has been driven by state governor Jorge Viana and Finnforest has been involved for two years, acting as the European market development partner, alongside local agency Braswood. Over the next few months, Finnforest will import more than 3,500m3 of the FSC-certified plywood.
Speaking at a celebration dinner in London last week, Mr Viana – who has been awarded the Gift of the earth by the WWF – thanked Finnforest for working for sustainable and legal forestry in Acre.
“Being a forest engineer and a conservationist, I believe the best way to preserve forests is to sustainably exploit them,” he said.
The aim of the Green Acre project was to establish a strategic alliance between producers and consumers of certified products and Mr Viana said Finnforest was the right partner to establish this work.
Finnforest managing director John Tong paid tribute to Mr Viana’s work and announced that, over the next two years, Finnforest would sponsor 30 people to train in forest management.
“The relationship [with Finnforest] is not only commercial but also has a social aspect,” said Mr Viana. “This [training] demonstrates the important awareness by Finnforest of the whole issue.”
Among guests at the dinner were representatives from the FSC, Greenpeace, the International Tropical Timber Organisation and the Timber Trade Federation.
