GFTN-Vietnam Welcomes Adis Pte Ltd.
The Global Forest & Trade Network in Vietnam (GFTN-Vietnam) officially admitted the 11th participant—Adis Pte Ltd., a furniture retailer headquartered in Singapore and operating in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Through joining GFTN-Vietnam, Adis formalizes its commitment to responsible sourcing and promoting responsible forest management.
Spain Advances Forest Certification in Central Africa
Demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting forest certification in Central Africa and public procurement policies that give preference to certified products, representatives from Spain’s Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) and WWF’s Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) gathered at the end of February to discuss collaborative efforts on advancing responsible forestry in the Congo Basin.
Domtar Instrumental in Increasing Availability of Certified Copy Paper in U.S.
Recognized as a leader in sustainable growth in the pulp and paper industry, Domtar Corporation—the world’s second largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper and GFTN-North America Participant—continues to deliver on the commitment made over a decade ago to make Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification an integral part of it sustainability strategy. Driven by this strategy, the company certified four more of its paper mills last spring—paving the way for Office Depot, one of its leading customers, to provide FSC-certified copy paper to the U.S. marketplace.
A Powerful Footprint
Rising to the Challenge
As the third largest consumer of wood products, the US furniture industry has a critical role to play in influencing the sustainability of the forest products supply chain by helping suppliers transition to ethical and environmentally responsible sources of timber. And many leading furniture retailers, such as Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI), a specialty retailer of high quality products for the home in the US and GFTN-North America Participant, are rising to the challenge and taking this responsibility to heart by developing responsible procurement policies for timber .
Advancing Responsible Forest Management in Latin America
When WWF began working with the Emberá-Wounaan indigenous people in the Darien— Panama’s largest forest remnant—in 2004, timber was extracted with little regard for the forest’s integrity orability to provide a constant supply of timber in the long term. However, through extensive training and support offered by WWF and the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN), the Emberá-Wounaan are advancing on the path to responsible forestry and reaping the rewards. The community recently signed a 10 year contract with Green Life Investment Corporation, a Franco-Panamanian group that will market wood from these communities’ responsibly managed forests.
GFTN Participant Recognized as Exemplary Case of Sustainable Forest Management
After a rigourous selection and evaluation process, the Latin American office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) awarded Aserradero Espinoza, a GFTN-Peru Participant, as one of 24 leading examples of sustainable forest management in the region. The company was selected after a lengthy evaluation process, which included field visits to their forest concessions located in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon.
Coca-Cola Spain Delivers on Sustainability Commitments
Unveiling a new green headquarters in Madrid, Coca-Cola Spain—a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company and a participant in GFTN-Iberia—marks a tangible step in implementing its commitment to responsible forestry and trade. Under the scope of their GFTN participation, Coca-Cola Spain pledges to increase the proportion of credibly certified wood and fibre used in their advertising at point of sale, labels on soft drinks, beverage cartons, office paper, product packaging and the wood and furniture used in their offices.
Responsible Forest Management Drives Change in Amazon
Deep in the heart of the Amazon, responsible forest management is making a world of difference for the small forest communities that call this lush jungle home. And private enterprises, like GFTN-Brazil Participant Laminados Triunfo, are driving this change in the Brazilian state of Acre as they seek a sustainable supply of responsibly managed timber directly from the source. Through their commitment to responsible sourcing, these companies contribute not only to the conservation of the Amazon’s valuable forests, but also to the economic development of these forest communities.
Partnering Together to Protect Portugal’s Vital Cork Oak Habitats
With fewer than 100 Iberian lynxes, Europe’s last big cat, remaining in the Mediterranean’s cork oak forests, it would seem that the days of this endangered species are numbered. However, a growing collective of committed companies are working to change their future by making commitments to sourcing FSC-certified cork.