Added impetus for tropical timber promotion
The Fair&Precious (F&P) sustainable tropical timber promotion and communications program gained a further four partners in the first half of 2023. The F&P campaigning ‘collective’, which was launched by ATIBT to raise international awareness of the environmental, social, and economic value of a sustainable tropical forestry sector and the technical and design potential of tropical timber, now has 43 partners, a mix of businesses and industry, research and consultancy organisations.
One new partner is French bespoke door and window manufacturer Millet. The 77-year-old company prides itself on retaining traditional joinery craft skills, while combining these with the latest production technology, and also highlights its commitment to minimising its environmental impact. “I entered the company with the ambition to show that we can do business differently and innovations we invest in contribute to sustainable development, which is as important to me as the growth of the group“, said Managing Director Fabrice Millet. The company’s environmental policy includes sourcing certified sustainable raw materials. “Working with certified wood producers is a requirement, not an option” it states. “For us, forests are a precious asset, essential for regulating climate and biodiversity. It is a matter of managing the forest sustainably, not damaging it during harvesting, and conducting applied research to better understand and manage forest dynamics.”
The European Parquet Industry (FEP) says it has joined F&P as the latter’s ten environmental and social commitments align with its values and the messaging of its own Real Wood campaign. This is aimed at growing the market for real wood flooring, which it claims to be not just aesthetically superior to other materials, but to have stronger environmental credentials. “The ecological advantages of real wood as a floor are undeniable. Far less energy is used in the extraction, processing, and disposal of wood than with any other building material” states the campaign. “It is recyclable, and the carbon-storing properties of wood products play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Another new F&P backer is Eticwood, the international Belgian tropical and agroforestry consultancy, services, and solutions specialist, which provides advice and technical assistance to partners via offices in Europe and Africa. The forestry projects it supports are focused on the ‘economic and social empowerment of communities’ and implementation of sustainable development initiatives, which also integrate climate issues and maintain biodiversity.
Alongside, Ecocoa, a Belgian artisanal chocolate producer, co-owned by Eticwood and Durwood, has also taken up an F&P partnership. The company’s catchline is ‘from bean to bar’. It uses only verified sustainable cocoa bean sources with full traceability and, by limiting intermediaries in the supply chain, says it can offer fair remuneration to producers. “Our short chain allows us to increase the producers’ income without charging the final consumer a high price”, says Ecocoa.
