Strengthening Trust in Tropical Wood - An STTC Forum organized by ATIBT

Strengthening Trust in Tropical Wood A European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) event organized by ATIBT in collaboration with IDH and ETTF The improving economic confidence in the EU is filtering only very slowly into the European tropical wood trade. The general trend away from tropical wood is mainly due to continuing concerns about supply, legality and environmental issues. Competing material industries perpetuate the myth that rainforests are best maintained by not using their wood. Spectacular actions by radical NGOs have also strongly biased market opinion against it.

Why do we need to increase trust in tropical wood?

The volume of tropical wood products trade in Europe has declined over the past years. Sales have dropped while the overall image of tropical wood has been deeply damaged. Trader and consumer trust must be recovered. It’s time to make the case for responsibly harvested tropical wood products to halt this trend.

What the ATIBT Forum can offer By « Strengthening trust in tropical wood », ATIBT, together with its co-partners the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF) under the European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC), aims to: -

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Highlight key progress of the tropical wood industry to create momentum for sustainably sourced tropical wood in front-running countries in the EU. Showcase how the tropical wood industry may respond to the specific needs of the EU market, both from a technical (promotion of lesser known wood species; ATIBT technical guide on wood procurement) and legal point of view (ability to comply with the EUTR; uniform reporting practices in response to EU directive 2013-341).

Provide a set of messages that tropical forest stakeholders may coherently embed in their campaigns with a view to accelerating market demand for certified or legally verified wood.

What do we expect?

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Participants have a set of actionable messages that they can further use and build on Business-to-business networking and exchange is fostered, leading to innovative partnerships Concerted action and a holistic approach are enhanced

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For more information on the EU directive and its implications for the forest industry, please see: “Transparency of Forest Industry”, first published in the ATIBT newsletter, July 2014 Forum page: http://www.atibt.org/amsterdam-2014/4585623468 For more information: Tullia Baldassarri Höger von Högersthal, Communication - tullia.baldassarri@atibt.org

Those benefiting from the Forum: -

Forest industry managers Representatives of government institutions Civil society organizations Small-scale enterprises Development agencies and international organizations

Five sessions will provide ample room for discussion on the following topics: 1. Promoting responsible tropical wood products The political will of producer countries to sustainably develop their locally based forest industries, combined with the recognition by consumer countries of the industries’ commitment to responsible forest practices, can help tell another story about tropical wood and thus reestablish the image of tropical wood as sustainable product and key development driver. This will have two positive effects: tropical wood products will have a role to play in the responsible choices consumers can make, while the industry will be motivated to remain engaged on sustainable forest practices.

2. ATIBT creating trust A talk show will present the core activities ATIBT has undertaken with a view to injecting trust in the tropical wood trade. From marketing initiatives to the development of new technical manuals, from governance issues to assisting small scale enterprises comply with legality requirements.

3. Trust through legality Presentations by leading sector experts and view exchanges with the audience will focus on the FLEGT Action Plan in general and the impacts of the EUTR in particular. Unless robust legality evidence is provided, trade barriers may arise: how has the industry coped? The debate will analyse how reliable information on legal tropical wood trade in the European Union can turn liabilities into assets.

4. Opportunities for creating trust Illegally harvested and traded tropical wood severely affects the image of the forest industry.

This being said, a number of countries are increasingly becoming committed to improving their governance and thus comply with new trade regulations requesting legality evidence of harvested wood products. The Republic of Congo will showcase its pioneering choice on how to respond to legality requests.

5. Opportunities for increasing trust Not only do poaching and bush-meat trade severely contribute to the loss of tropical forest biodiversity, but also highly sought-after commodities such as palm-oil plantations all too often result in tropical forests being converted to arable land. Innovative partnerships involving progressive NGOs, the industry and governments are showing positive trends in dealing with these issues, which in turn, will lead to increased trust in tropical wood.

Forum page: http://www.atibt.org/amsterdam-2014/4585623468 For more information: Tullia Baldassarri HĂśger von HĂśgersthal, Communication - tullia.baldassarri@atibt.org