www.timberdesignandtechnology.com ANALYSIS | INTERVIEWS | DESIGN | SUSTAINABILITY | TECHNOLOGY Issue 05 | November 2012 DNA testing of wood to help curb illegal logging World’s tallest timber building ‘tops out’ in Melbourne ‘Out of the Woods - Adventures of 12 Hardwood Chairs’ Illegal logging nets organized crime up to USD 100 billion dollars every year Miro Forestry aims for leadership within the sustainable plantation forestry industry in West Africa PLUS Timber industry news, new products, exhibition previews and more
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Timber Design & Technology Middle East - November 2012
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November 2012 | www.timberdesignandtechnology.com
www.timberdesignandtechnology.com
A N A L Y S I S | I N T E R V I E W S | D E S I G N | S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y | T E C H N O L O G Y
Issue 05 | November 2012
DNA testing of wood to help curb illegal logging
World’s tallest timber building ‘tops out’ in Melbourne
‘Out of the Woods - Adventures of 12 Hardwood Chairs’
Illegal logging nets organized crime up to USD 100
billion dollars every year
Miro Forestry aims for leadership within the sustainable
plantation forestry industry in West Africa
PLUS Timber industry news, new products,
exhibition previews and more
Cover photo:‘Out of the Woods ‘ display
This is the final issue of the magazine for 2012 and the end of our first year of publishing. It
has been quite a steep learning curve for me, but I have met a good number of seasoned wood
industry professionals who have helped me get a grasp of the industry both here in the region
and internationally. Recently I was delighted to be the first representative from the Middle East to
attend the annual meeting of the Woodworking and Furniture Suppliers Magazine Association in
Istanbul. This is a group of 28 publishers from every corner of the globe from Argentina to Taiwan
with a total distribution to over 250,000 industry professionals. We will now have access to the
best possible wood industry news and trends and we plan to share some of this information in our
forthcoming issues.
In this issue, we have covered a range of interesting topics including a feature on how DNA
testing of wood can help combat illegal logging and trade in illegal timber. This has been pioneered
by a company based in Singapore - DoubleHelix - and we were able to track down Jonathan Geach,
Executive Director at the company to learn more about this unique service. Sticking with the same
theme, we have covered a recent report from INTERPOL-UNEP, which estimates the global economic
value of illegal timber trade to be in the region of USD 30 - 100 billion annually. The report focuses
at length on the different methods employed by those involved with illegal logging and outlines key
recommendations to counter this global problem.
As always we invite readers and industry professionals to share their thoughts with us and in
this issue we have featured articles submitted by Dovetail Partners and Broadleaf Consulting. The
former looks at the current state of certification within the timber industry and what next whilst the
latter focuses on the Turkish economy and the market for hardwoods in the country. For those of
you who have been with us from the start, you might remember that in our first issue, we introduced
Cross Laminated Timber and the world’s tallest building - the Stadthaus in London - made from CLT.
Recently, the world’s tallest building made from timber (CLT again) has topped out in Melbourne and
we take a closer look at this structure in this issue.
Looking ahead, we plan to publish five issues of the publication again in 2013 starting in February
and then our Dubai WoodShow special issue in April. We will also be expanding our online activity
with updated news, features, exhibition information and technology developments. Do log on to the
website - www.timberdesignandtechnology.com - for the latest updates and please get in touch if you
have any suggestions for subjects we should consider covering.
Best Wishes,
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curb illegal logging DoubleHelix pioneers testing that
can pinpoint timber species and origin
16 MARKET REPORTIllegal logging nets organized crime up
to USD 100 billion dollars every yearINTeRPOL-uNeP release ‘Green Carbon: Black Trade’
report on illegal timber trade
20 ANALYSISBeyond Certification
Understanding the challenges of certification and identifying opportunities to both improve on existing
programs and develop new approaches
27 ANALYSISTalking Turkey
An assessment of the Turkish market for hardwoods
30 DESIGN & DéCOR‘Out of the Woods - Adventures of 12
Hardwood Chairs’ Ground breaking LCA research helps RCA students
generate full environmental profiles for each of their designs
36 FEATUREWorld’s tallest timber building ‘tops
out’ in MelbourneConstruction innovation heralds new era for
building industry
40 PROFILEMiro Forestry
Company aims for leadership within the sustainable plantation forestry industry in West Africa
43 TECHNOLOGYHOMAG Group hosts the 20th edition of its annual ‘Treff’ expo in SchopflochVisitors experience an unprecedented array of smart
solutions for the production of furniture, windows, floors, staircases and doors at landmark event
46 SHOWTIMEPreview of the upcoming exhibitions
FARLIN GROUP OF COMPANIES ARE VERTICALLY INTEGRATED WITH AN ESTABLISHED PRESENCE WORLDWIDE IN TIMBER LOGS, SAWN TIMBER, PLYWOOD, PANEL PRODUCTS AND COAL FOR ENERGY SECTORS.
In OctOber 2012 FarlIn GrOup OFFlOaded One OF the bIGGest ever lOads OF FIlm Faced plywOOd, cOmmercIal plywOOd, mdF and Other panel prOducts at KhalId pOrt In sharjah and dOha pOrt In Qatar. the tOtal sIze OF the carGO was 36,000cbm. mOre vessels lIKe thIs have already been planned tO meet the GrOwInG demand OF Our valuable custOmers FrOm acrOss the Gcc. please cOntact Our sales team tOday FOr ImmedIate servIce.
Established in June 2008, the company today is the leader in applied forest genetics and aims to bridge the gap between cutting edge genetics, forest management and timber supply chain issues
SUSTAINABILITY
such practices. Geach is hopeful that
the progress being made could result
in small-scale laboratories around
the globe carrying out cheap DNA
timber tests for companies, customs
agents and law enforcement agencies
within the next two years.
As the cost of genetics research
continues to fall, novel applications
are becoming viable and affordable
to meet a multitude of challenges
faced by the forestry industry and
beyond. As a result, the range of
services offered by DoubleHelix is
expanding across species and sectors
and includes plantation forestry,
timber certification and genetic
inventory for carbon projects.
Geach goes on to state that the
scope of the company’s services is
spreading significantly across a range
of questions as they aim to find
practical commercial applications at
prices that work for their customers.
This has happened due to a
combination of the breadth of issues
that DNA tests easily resolve and the
company’s ability to introduce more
species and regions into play.
“We are seeing clients in Europe
start to incorporate DNA testing
into supplier contracts to verify
country and species claims. Many
clients are using the EU Timber
Regulation as a spur to examine their
supply chains, often with little real
idea of the existing risk. We bring
together our three strengths - an
understanding of trade, expertise
in legality and cutting edge science.
In this way clients are able to get
ahead of the curve and harness the
EUTR as a marketing opportunity
rather than a new risk in operating
internationally,” says Geach.
The company has also been
According to Geach, DoubleHelix
grew out of a timber product
legality standard in Indonesia called
CertiSource (www.certisource.
co.uk). Established in June 2008,
the company today is the leader in
applied forest genetics and aims to
bridge the gap between cutting edge
genetics, forest management and
timber supply chain issues. As such,
the company is pioneering the use
of applied genetics to verify claims
associated with legality, origin,
sustainability, whilst removing
fraud from within the timber supply
chain and preparing businesses for
legislation in the USA and Europe.
Registered in Singapore, the company
is the first in the world to develop
and commercialize DNA testing
for wood. Geach confidently states
that commercial services have
been purchased by businesses keen
to access markets secure in the
knowledge that they are getting what
they pay for since 2007.
Up until now, the fight against
the trade in illegal timber has been
waged with government regulations
and preventive measures, which
have not met with much success. As a
result, there has been a shift towards
using the criminal justice system and
law enforcement techniques, which
has forced companies around the
world to undertake their own due
diligence or pay the price of neglect.
The DNA testing services offered by
DoubleHelix is helping responsible
companies ensure the legality of the
timber they have procured whilst
also fighting to ensure that common
practices in the timber industry such
as mislabeling, lying about origin or
substituting one type of wood for
another are a thing of the past.
Andrew Lowe, Chief Scientific
Officer at DoubleHelix, is one of
the world’s top plant geneticists
and was responsible for making
the breakthrough in DNA testing
of wood. At his laboratory at the
University of Adelaide in South
Australia, he perfected the method
of extracting DNA taken from a log,
a board, a table or even flooring,
which paved the way for the
commercialized testing of timber.
Today, rapid advances in the field
and plunging costs for DNA testing
of timber now mean that it is
commercially feasible for companies
trying to meet new regulations in
the United States and Europe against
Jonathan Geach, Executive Director, DoubleHelix
Andrew Lowe, Chief Scientific Officer, DoubleHelix
DNA TesTiNg iN prAcTice: The cAse of The simmoNDs Lumber groupThe Simmonds Lumber Group is one of Australia’s leading wholesale timber importers with an annual turnover of over AUS$ 100 million. The company imports high quality tropical timber flooring, structural components and decking products from a number of countries including the USA, China and Indonesia.
Simmonds sought to safeguard their reputation as a responsible importer of tropical hardwood from Indonesia, a market tainted with high volumes of illegal timber and without adequate solutions at hand to secure their supply chain.
the certisource solution ensured:• Due diligence analysis of Simmonds’ existing supply chain to assess ability of suppliers to meet legality and traceability standards.
• Independent audit of forest sources and sawmill Chain-of-Custody systems against the CertiSource standard for Verified Legal Timber.• Implementation of DNA testing on every batch of timber processed through the audited supply chain from forest to sawmill, providing scientific validation of unbroken Chain-of-Custody.• Simmonds secured supply of CertiSource Verified Legal timber products from Indonesian sawmills. Every product can be traced back to a specific batch of logs from legally harvesting forest concessions.
Simmonds achieved four significant benefits from the solution:• Access to new forest sources they were previously excluded from due to lack of traceability.• Significant risk reduction in their tropical
timber supply chain.• Differentiation of their product offer and brand leadership position in Australia.• Access to new buyers due to assurance of product legality.
These have led to two significant business wins for Simmonds; they have secured a contract to supply Masters Stores (a joint venture between Lowes of the United States and Woolworths of Australia) who are opening 158 outlets across Australia. Simmonds has also successfully penetrated the New Zealand market based on the supply of CertiSource Verified Legal timber.
“From a perspective of legality of our industry at the supply end through to the marketability of products to Australian consumers, this is the way of the future,” said Paul Elsmore, CEO, Simmonds Lumber Australia 2007.
includes both big and small businesses
in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
Commenting on the company’s
customer base, Geach says: “Clients
for new genetic services tend to
be larger businesses up, mid and
downstream. These lead clients
are enabling us to ensure that the
services we’re developing are what
the market really needs and that
pricing and service structure serves
purpose. This currently numbers less
than 20 but we anticipate a sharp
increase in the next six months,
especially as we hope to see a major
timber audit business and a well
known international certification
brand start piloting our technology.”
The biggest challenge (and a common
misconception as well) to DNA testing
is the fact that clients think a
DNA forest map is required
for comparison purposes.
Constructing such a
map is crucial because
DNA for each species
changes subtly
from one area to
another, acting like a
postcode that can be
used to determine
a sample’s origin.
At the same time,
the process of going
into a forest to take DNA
samples across a species’
entire range is costly and time
consuming. Geach counteracts by
stating that this is only a slight
challenge and it’s more of a
common misconception of the scale of
the issue.
“At present, there are a number
of very useful species identification
services that do not require
background databases. Maps exist
for many species and more are
being made as people increasingly
realize their value. The data is
generally in the public domain and
will be of great use for far more
than legality issues for hundreds of
years to come,” says Geach. “More
recently, the International Timber
Trade Organization has approved
and funded a project that will create
large scale ‘genographic’ maps
of several commonly traded tree
species in seven African countries
and implement DNA based Chain-
of-Custody (CoC) systems in these
countries. This project will
facilitate access to premium
European and United States
markets both of which
have legislation requiring
proof of legality, and
therefore traceability.”
Spurred on by the
early success of the
company, support for
DoubleHelix has come
from both the industry
and from governments.
According to Geach, many
governments have helped not
just with funding but also with
support in championing the idea.
The US, German, Australian, and
Singaporean governments are
a few who have actively supported
the company. From an industry
perspective, Geach believes that
once a person grasps the simplicity
of genetic solutions to timber supply
chain issues, and the longer term
view of global forestry, they quickly
recognize it’s inevitability. In the
Middle East, Kevin Hill, the founder
of DoubleHelix, is confident that
DNA CoC will play an important
part in reducing cost and providing
more security when incorporating
compliant timber products into LEED
and other Green Building standard
projects given the widespread
prevalence of ‘green building
standards’ in the construction sector.
“Our business is going through
several cycles. We have gone
through the proof of concept phase
where we have shown that these
services work, are affordable and
people like them. We are now going
through a wider commercialization
phase and will finally get to a point
where we own and license IP. This
will allow third-party businesses
to offer the technology solution
whether they are a timber supply
chain auditor, lab services company
or otherwise involved in compliance
issues, investment or forestry.
In short, people who adopt our
technology now are benefiting by
winning new business, accessing
markets they’re previously excluded
from as well as reduce risk and
cost of risk management/security,”
concludes Geach.
16 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
MARKET REPORT
In a new report released by
INTERPOL and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), the
economic value of the illegal timber
trade by organized crime groups is
estimated to be worth between USD
30 and 100 billion annually, which
represents around 10 - 30 percent
of the global wood trade. The Rapid
Response Report, entitled ‘Green
Carbon: Black Trade’, states that illegal
logging now accounts for between
15 - 30 percent of the global legal
trade and significantly hampers the
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
and Forest Degradation (REDD)
initiative - one of the principal tools
for stimulating environmental change,
sustainable development, job creation
and reducing emissions.
Forests worldwide bind CO2 and
store it - so called Green Carbon - and
help mitigate climate change. However,
deforestation accounts for an estimated
17 percent of global carbon emissions,
which is about 1.5 times greater than
emissions from the entire world’s
air, road, rail and shipping traffic
combined. According to the report,
the vast majority of deforestation
and illegal logging takes place in the
tropical forests of the Amazon basin,
Central Africa and Southeast Asia, with
recent studies projecting that illegal
logging accounts for 50 - 90 percent
of the volume of all forestry in key
producer tropical countries and 15 - 30
percent globally.
“Funding to better manage forests
represents an enormous opportunity to
not only address climate change but to
reduce rates of deforestation, improve
water supplies, cut soil erosion and
generate decent green jobs in natural
resource management,” said Achim
Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General
and UNEP Executive Director. “Illegal
logging can, however, undermine
this effort, robbing countries and
communities of a sustainable future,
if the unlawful activities are more
profitable than the lawful ones under
REDD+.”
A number of certification schemes
and programmes have evolved as
a means to reduce illegal logging.
These schemes, such as voluntary
trade agreements including the EU
Forest Law Enforcement, Governance
and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary
Partnership Agreements (VPAs), or
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
certification, have been relatively
successful in bringing stakeholders
Illegal logging nets organized crime up to USD 100 billion dollars every year
‘Green Carbon: Black Trade’ outlines the severity of the
illegal timber trade and makes recommendations to combat this global problem
In the last five years, illegal logging has moved from direct illegal logging to more advanced methods of concealment and timber laundering
The heALTh of our foresTs
net loss of forest
current forest cover
net gain of forest
dryland degradation
Source: Adapted from a map by Philippe Rekacewicz originally published in UNEP-FAO Vital Forest Graphics , 2009; data source from MA 2005.
18 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
MARKET REPORT
rangeland for cattle.
Funneling large volumes of illegal
timber through legal plantations, across
borders or through mills, is another
effective way to launder logs. In some
instances, illegal loggers mix illicit
timber with 3 - 30 times the amount of
officially processed timber, which also
constitutes tax fraud. Many of these
illegal operations involve bribes to
forest officials, police and military, and
even royalties to local village heads.
In addition, other scams include the
falsification of eco-certification.
Experts concur that much of the
laundering of illegal timber is only
possible due to large flows of funding
from investors based in Asia, the EU
and the US, including investments
through pension funds. As funds are
made available to establish plantations
operations to launder illegal timber and
obtain permits illegally or pass bribes,
investments, collusive corruption and
tax fraud combined with low risk
and high demand, make it a highly
profitable illegal business, with
revenues up to 5 - 10 fold higher than
legal practices for all parties involved.
This also undermines subsidized
alternative livelihood incentives
available in several countries. In
addition to increased organized crime
involvement, the report also highlights
a rise in other crime types linked
to illegal logging, including murder,
violence, threats, corruption, fraud and
theft, with indigenous forest dwellers
particularly affected. The challenges
already facing indigenous peoples are
further compounded as companies now
launder illegally felled timber under
fraudulent permits for ranches or
plantation establishment schemes.
According to the report, efforts to
stop this black trade must concentrate
on increasing the probability of
apprehending illegal logging syndicates
and their networks, reducing the flow of
timber from regions with high degree of
illegality by adapting a multi-disciplinary
law enforcement approach, developing
economic incentives by discouraging the
use of timber from these regions and
introducing a rating of companies based
on the likelihood of their involvement in
illegal practices to discourage investors
and stock markets from funding
them. When combined with economic
incentives, through REDD+ and trade
opportunities through CITES and FLEGT,
these actions may become successful in
reducing deforestation, and ultimately,
carbon emissions.
INTERPOL and UNEP, through the
UN agency’s GRID Arendal centre in
Norway, have also established a pilot-
project called LEAF (Law Enforcement
Assistance to Forests) funded by
the Norwegian Government agency
NORAD to develop an international
system to combat organized crime in
close collaboration with key partners.
However, the cost of implementing an
effective international law enforcement
scheme and training capacity to
substantially reduce the emissions
from illegal logging is estimated to be
approximately USD 20 - 30 million
dollars annually. While INTERPOL is
currently leading the police related law
enforcement response through Project
LEAF, its success requires strong,
constant, and sustainable commitment
from governments, civil society, and
the private sector.
The newly established International
Consortium on Combating Wildlife
Crime (ICCWC), chaired by the CITES
Secretariat and comprised of INTERPOL,
the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank
and the World Customs Organization
(WCO), also provides a substantial
new commitment to the sharing and
coordination of a comprehensive
international effort to help combat
wildlife crime, including illegal logging.
In fact, the ICCWC represents the
entire enforcement chain - customs,
Key recommeNDATioNs of The iNTerpoL-uNep reporT• Strengthen and consider funding opportunities for the development of a full-fledged Law Enforcement Assistance to Forests (LEAF) programme under INTERPOL and UNEP in close collaboration with all ICCWC partners, REDD+, FLEGT and other relevant programmes and agencies. The objective of the programme is to implement coordinated international and improved national law enforcement and investigative efforts to reduce illegal logging, the international trade in illegally felled timber and forest-related corruption including tax fraud and laundering.
• Increase national investigative and operational national capacities through an INTERPOL based training scheme to strengthen and build national task forces on combating illegal logging and laundering. This includes strengthening national law enforcement agency cooperation and co-ordination through
supporting the formation of national taskforces to ensure enforcement of laws and regulations related to forests.
• Centralize nationally the issuing of permits for land clearance whether for logging, plantations or ranching and permits for road transport of timber with strong anti-counterfeit measures.
• Develop an INTERPOL classification system of geographic regions within countries according to the suspected degree of illegality in collaboration with National Central Bureaus (NCBs) and other relevant stakeholders. This includes defining upper limits of volumes of logs to be transported, restricting transport funnels of all timber from such illegal logging regions and monitoring forest change on a regional basis.
• Encourage national tax fraud investigations with a particular focus on
plantations and mills laundering, under- or over-reporting of volumes and over- or under-invoicing, tax fraud and misuse of government subsidies.
• Reduce investment attractiveness in forest enterprises active in regions identified as areas of illegal logging by implementing an international INTERPOL-based rating system of companies extracting, operating in or buying from regions with a high degree of illegal activity. This includes investigating possible complicity of investors in funding illegal activities related to logging, transporting, laundering or purchasing illegally logged timber.
• Strengthen the resources available to ICCWC to have a dedicated role, unit(s) and responsibility at global and regional levels, as appropriate, specifically tasked to combat illegal logging and international trade in illegally logged or procured timber and wood products.
police and justice. It also addresses
anti-money laundering and serves as
a model at the international level for
the sort of cooperation that is required
amongst enforcement agencies at
the national level to more effectively
combat illegal international trade in
timber products.
MARKET REPORT
Lastly, priority attention must be
given to investigation of tax fraud,
corruption and anti-laundering,
including substantially increasing the
investigative and operational capacity
of national task forces working with
INTERPOL, against logging companies,
plantations and mills.
This feature contains
information and text
from the Summary of the
INTERPOL-UNEP Report.
The report - Green Carbon:
Black Trade - is available for
download on the INTERPOL
and UNEP websites.
CAD+T Middle East JLT, PO Box 262353, Indigo Icon, Offi ce 507, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, UAE, Mobil.: +971(0) 50-2738319, Tel.: +971(0) 4-4477880, Email: offi [email protected]
20 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
ANALYSIS
Dr. Jeffrey Howe and Kathryn Fernholz of Dovetail
Partners share their views on the certification of forests
In 2013, the world will mark the 20-
year anniversary of third-party forest
certification. After 20 years of effort,
approximately 10 percent of the world’s
forests have been certified through various
programs. During this time, many changes
have occurred in the forest sector and in the
practice of forest management. Yet, in spite
of many successes, major hurdles remain.
Although it could clearly be argued that
global forestry has been affected positively,
not only are 90 percent of the world’s
forests uncertified but also the certified
10 percent was already the best-managed
forestland in existence. So the key question
now is what will the next 20 years of forest
improvement look like? Will we continue on
the certification path we are on, or will we
thoughtfully assess and apply the lessons
learned in order to chart an improved
course? Based upon the knowledge
gained over the past two decades and the
experiences of other eco-labeling systems, it
is clear that a better method is needed, and
is possible. It is time to move beyond the
forest certification of the past generation
and entertain a broader, more inclusive, and
more cost effective approach.
The existing approach to forest
certification is extremely complex and is
inflicting significant cost on the forest sector.
It is complex in that current systems have
become moving targets with ever changing
standards and inconsistent interpretations
that undermine the credibility of the
entire effort. The current approaches to
forest certification have created confusion,
hypocrisies in the way standards are being
applied, and they have failed to adequately
address emerging issues such as illegal
logging and bio-energy production. Forest
certification is also costly. To date, it is
Beyond Certification Understanding the challenges of certification and identifying opportunities to both improve on existing programs and develop new approaches
Although it could clearly be argued that global forestry has been affected positively, not only are 90 percent of the world’s forests uncertified but also the certified 10 percent was already the best-managed forestland in existence. So the key question now is what will the next 20 years of forest improvement look like?
There are many diverse benefits being realized from forest certification, but the focus needs to be on the forest, rather than the process, and the approach needs to be easily applicable to more diverse forest management situations
22 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
ANALYSIS
USD 20 billion in 2007; and grew an average
of 18 percent each year between 2007-
2010. The USDA Organic Program also drove
the creation of a new space for the direct
marketing of local products as a ‘deeper
shade of green’.
So, what would a better forest certification
system look like? How can the benefits of
certification be clarified in the marketplace?
There are many possible answers. One
approach would be to have forest certification
simply take greater advantage of existing
forest management infrastructure and
expertise, recognize the benefits of existing,
effective regulatory systems (e.g., U.S.
laws), and utilize terminology that has
greater acceptance in, and attraction to, the
marketplace. Marketplace acceptance could
be tested for attributes like GMO-free wood,
wood grown without the use of pesticides
or herbicides, or wood from forests that are
regenerated with native species. Another
approach would be to develop a comparative
index that ranks forest practices based upon
a small number, but clearly identifiable and
understandable forestry considerations. Using
this type of approach, product market claims
could be based on regional or global rankings
(e.g., wood comes from forests among the top
10 percent in the world or attains four out of
five stars). In addition to these possibilities,
further approaches and/or improvements
in forest certification could be defined by
interviewing both current and potential users
(especially in tropical areas) to identify those
methodologies that they would see as having
significant potential to increase the practice of
responsible forestry.
Pursuing additional options and
enhancements might allow the forest sector
to rapidly move beyond the current limits
of forest certification. The original goal
hasn’t changed. We still need to dramatically
decrease deforestation in tropical areas.
According to the UNECE, in the twenty years
since certification was formed we have
certified only 2 percent (200 million acres) of
tropical forest while over 700 million acres of
tropical forest has been deforested. We also
need to be able to identify wood from well-
managed forests across the globe. In addition,
U.S. markets need to be assured that the wood
products they purchase meet the requirements
of the Lacey Act.
The first question that matters for the forest
sector at this point is: Do we want the next 20
years of forest certification to look like that last
20? If the answer is No, which it must be for
anyone who cares about forests and the forest
sector, then the next question is: How can we
most effectively move beyond current forest
certification methodologies to dramatically
benefit forests? And the answer to that
question is to pursue a system that leads us to
the core principles of what wood means as a
renewable, infinite, sustainable, responsible and
natural product. Good examples and abundant
experience now exist to allow us to modify,
change, and adapt to a better future.
When you make maple syrup there is a
time after all the preparation and collection
of material (sap and firewood usually) from
the forest that you simply have to turn up the
heat, stir it up a bit, and tend to it carefully
to make it come out well. Certification may
be at the same point. The original goal of
forest certification was to create a label that
would enable the market to identify and
select wood from well-managed forests and
thus allow demand from the marketplace
to provide economic benefit that would
translate into increased funding for better
forest management practices. In short, the
goal was to link clear market choices with
sustainable forestry.
In order to understand the current
challenges of certification and to identify
opportunities to both improve on existing
programs and develop new approaches, we
need to take a look at forest certification from
two opposite ends of the spectrum, that of the
forest and that of the marketplace to see if it is
successfully addressing that original goal and
to recommend a possible next step.
The Forest PerspectiveTwenty years ago there was no common
agreement on the definition of ‘sustainable
forestry’. Today, with great regard to forest
certification, there appears to be a general
consensus on what good forestry entails.
However, this consensus has not been boiled
down to a finite number of characteristics
to which individual landowners are held
accountable. Instead, current sustainable
forestry is a complex series of interwoven
ecological relationships on which no two
landowners may find uniformity. In an attempt
to consider every possible negative outcome,
certification has become similarly complex.
This complexity provides incredible
strength when it results in comprehensive
auditing that leaves no stone unturned,
reviews all aspects of forest management,
and helps identify a full spectrum of
opportunities for improvement. For land
managers that want to make changes (or
need to), the current certification process
can be very constructive in identifying key
gaps and setting priorities for strategic
improvements. However, for land managers
that are already doing a very good job and
are in regions with significant regulatory and
management structure already in place (i.e.,
many of the current certificate holders), this
According to the UNECE, in the twenty years since certification was formed we have certified only 2 percent (200 million acres) of tropical forest while over 700 million acres of tropical forest has been deforested
24 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
ANALYSIS
emphasis on the details can be extremely
frustrating and costly. As one manager put
it in a private conversation, “it’s frustrating
spending time and money trying to be ‘more
perfect’ when there are a world of issues to
be addressed on other lands.”
The broad-brush approach inherent in
some certification systems appears to lead
to cost inefficiencies as well. For example,
the lack of trust in existing infrastructure
(e.g., government, management planning,
and legal systems) leads to unnecessary
administrative costs to landowners in
regions like North America. Also, in some
instances, the attempt to address globally
issues that are dominantly of regional
concern leads to efforts that appear
unnecessary. The net result is high forest
management costs related to certification
(or penalties) on well-managed sites and
few lands that are certified in regions (e.g.,
tropics) where sustainable forestry is in
greatest need of attention.
The Market PerspectiveThe key to success of a certification system
is its effectiveness in the marketplace. This
effectiveness is primarily based on trust
in the certified brand. It has been said that
we trust those that we believe have the
ability and the commitment to do what
they say. Thus, certification is as effective
as the extent to which the certified label is
recognized and trusted.
To date certification is relatively
unrecognized in the marketplace in North
America, at least by the average consumer,
and the concept of certification is both
poorly understood and poorly differentiated
from other ‘green’ marketing activities. For
example, is forest certification of the wood
in a product equal to, more, or less important
than attributes such as VOC-free?
Certification is also relatively
unrecognized and poorly differentiated in
the market channels that transfer wood
products. In the U.S. approximately 4,000
of the estimated 200,000 wood products
companies are chain-of-custody certified
today, and research suggests that even
key individuals from companies that are
certified are poorly informed as to what
that certification actually means. It is also
common for individuals and organizations
to ask the difference between certification
programs when in fact they really don’t
know anything about either, and are simply
trying to define them by their variances
rather than their attributes. Thus actual
benefits to the customer remain undefined
and no value can be placed.
To a certain extent some of this lack
of understanding of certification by the
marketplace can be explained by the
complexity of the systems they represent, but
it is also true that there are no simple claims
that can be made about today’s certified
wood products because there are almost no
universal truths. For example, the simplest
claim of all, the source of the wood, cannot
be universally guaranteed. That is, a seller
couldn’t necessarily claim that the wood in a
labeled certified product actually comes from
certified forests. It is hard to convince buyers
that a product has extra value when there are
no definable benefits to that claim.
Result of two perspectives - is it working?So is the marketplace providing funding
for the benefit of forest management?
It is hard to see that this is true at this
point. Anecdotally it would appear that the
opposite is true, meaning that costs have
increased while selling prices have remained
stagnant. Certainly, it is true that some new
buyer-seller relationships have been created
and there are benefits to aligning like-
minded organizations. But there is little to
no evidence that a clear premium exists for
certified products, in general.
So, how do we solve this? How do we
clearly answer the question of what it
means to support sustainable forestry
with the purchase of sustainable forest
products? First, we recognize the value
of the current programs. The current
certification programs and systems offer a
robust structure and model for developing
exemplary forest management systems
where they are lacking. The level of detail
and breadth of issues that are covered
help develop professional levels of forest
stewardship. But the gap of providing a
straightforward and guaranteed benefit for
the market can’t be filled by these systems
as they currently operate.
We need to leverage our twenty years of
experience to boil down the complex list of
100s of possible indicators of sustainability
to the top 3, 4, or 5 mandatory and universal
building blocks that define good wood. These
core components should be measurable,
auditable and widely applicable. They should
support a vision for the forestry we want to
see now and in the future, and the responsible
wood products that the marketplace desires.
By identifying the cornerstones of sustainable
forestry, we will articulate the expertise of
our good forest managers and eliminate the
confusion in the marketplace. Today we have
the knowledge and experience to address
this issue. By turning up the heat a little, and
boiling the system down a bit, we should be
able to come up with something a little more
intense, a little more pure, and better tasting
to the marketplace.
The net result is high forest management costs related to certification (or penalties) on well-managed sites and few lands that are certified in regions (e.g., tropics) where sustainable forestry is in greatest need of attention
AbouT DoveTAiL pArTNersDovetail Partners provides authoritative information about the impacts and trade-offs of environmental decisions, including consumption choices, land use, and policy alternatives. Dovetail is a highly skilled team that fosters sustainability and responsible behaviors by collaborating to develop unique concepts, systems, models and programs. Dovetail Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. More information is available at www.dovetailinc.org
26 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
FEATURE
will serve as Vice President. Further,
the six new board members include:
Mark Cifranick of Baillie Lumber Co.;
Shane Cook of Midwest Walnut Co.;
Charley Fiala of GMC Hardwoods,
Inc.; Scott Holley of Industrial Timber
& Lumber; Steve Jones of Ron Jones
Hardwood Sales; and T.J. Rosengarth
of Northwest Hardwoods.
Following the selection of the new
NHLA board, legendary coach and
player Mike Ditka officially kicked off
the 115th Annual Convention events.
During his address Ditka talked at
length about attitude, enthusiasm
and character as essential elements
of life. He concluded his remarks to
a standing ovation with a quote by
Abraham Lincoln. “You cannot build
character and courage by taking away
man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by
doing for them what they could and
should do for themselves.”
Ditka’s motivational opening
remarks were followed John Carpenter
who presented Caterpillar’s global
economic outlook focusing strongly
on China. Lastly, Kevin O’Connor,
the charismatic host of This Old
House, America’s most watched home
improvement television show, shared
his observations on the green building
movement and the green building bust.
The Exhibit Showcase and Traders
Alley was open on all three days for
delegates to meet with traders and
companies offering a wide range of
services to the hardwood industry.
Notable for overseas delegates was
the now very popular International
Buyers Panel of importers from
several key global markets, moderated
by AHEC Executive Director Mike
Snow. Also at the convention, NHLA
Chief Inspector Dana Spessert and
his team of inspectors presented an
educational seminar and update on
grading rules and on the domestic
and international inspection services.
Following the success of the 2012
convention, the NHLA has announced
that the 2013 NHLA Annual
Convention & Exhibit Showcase will
be held from October 2-4 at the Omni
Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas.
Keynote speakers this year included Mike Ditka, renowned National Football League (NFL) player, coach and commentator; John Carpenter, President of Caterpillar Forest Products Centre of Excellence and Chairman of the Tropical Forest Foundation; and Kevin O’Connor, TV host of ‘This Old House
NATioNAL hArDwooD Lumber AssociATioN (NhLA)
The world’s largest and oldest hardwood industry association, the NHLA represents more than 1,300 companies and individuals that produce, use and sell North American hardwood lumber, or provide equipment, supplies or services to the hardwood industry. It was founded in 1898 to establish a uniform system of grading rules for the measurement and inspection of hardwood lumber. Since 1980, its headquarters have been in Memphis, Tenn. To learn more about NHLA, please visit www.nhla.com.
AHEC’s International Buyers Panel in Chicago
Dana Spessert, Chief Inspector, NHLA Keynote Speaker - Mike Ditka
and cladding, outdoor furniture, flooring, interior
furniture and interior joinery. The yacht and
boat building sector is substantial in Turkey and
is a major user of tropical hardwoods in the
main, particularly from Central Africa. A few
temperate hardwoods are also used for luxury
yacht interiors. The decking and cladding sector
is growing quickly in Turkey and is influenced
by the renewed fashion for timber cladding, as
well as the rise in disposable incomes allowing
many people to purchase holiday homes
with swimming pools. This sector has been
a major user of tropical hardwoods, but the
increasing availability of heat-treated temperate
hardwoods in the market is allowing non-
durable species to penetrate this sector.
As with the decking and cladding sector,
the manufacturing of outdoor furniture is also
a major user of tropical hardwood species,
but heat-treated temperate hardwoods
have also begun to be used in recent years.
Turkey is a significant producer of hardwood
flooring (mainly engineered) and there is a
sizeable market for strip flooring and parquet,
particularly in oak from nearby supplying
countries, such as Ukraine. There are an
estimated ten or so companies in Turkey
producing engineered hardwood flooring.
Turkey’s furniture sector is very significant
and production in 2011 is anticipated to have
reached a value of USD 10 billion. In addition,
some USD 1.7 billion worth of Turkish-made
furniture is estimated to have been exported
last year, rising by around 18 percent from
2010. The main destinations were Iran, Iraq,
Libya, Central Asia, Russia, Romania, the UK and
the Arabian Gulf. However, the vast majority
of Turkish furniture is panel-based and the
sector is a heavy user of MDF and chipboard,
both also produced locally. While this means
that the use of solid hardwoods in furniture is
limited in relation to overall production, it does
mean that demand for hardwood veneers (along
with manmade papers and foils) is relatively
high. Nevertheless, there is a high end, bespoke
segment within the furniture sector and this
is where a significant proportion of imported
hardwood lumber ends up. Much of this
production is geared towards export and this
sector is growing.
Hardwood is also used fairly widely in
residential interior joinery, particularly for
staircases and kitchen worktops, while doors are
most often made using panels and softwoods.
In most cases, stair treads and worktops are
made from edge-glued finger-jointed panels and
these rely on European hardwood species in the
main, such as beech, oak and chestnut, but also,
increasingly, American hardwoods. Commercial
joinery is not a major hardwood-consuming
sector, but this is developing as fashions change.
Furthermore, buoyancy in the construction
sector is leading to a number of large-scale
commercial projects, including offices and hotels.
This is expected to drive the market for interior
joinery in the coming years.
Population: 79.7 million (July 2011 estimate)
Population growth 1.2% (July 2011 estimate)
Population age (avg.) 28.8 years
Urban population 70% of total (Istanbul: c.14 million, Ankara: c.4.5 million)
GDP growth8.5% (2011)
GDP per capita (PPP)USD 14,600
Inflation 7.8% (2011 estimate)
ExportsUSD 134.6 billion (2011)
Imports USD 240.8 billion (2011)
Main trading partners EU (especially Germany & UK), Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Iran, Gulf countries, Libya, Central Asian countries
AbouT The AuThorRoderick Wiles has been analyzing the Middle East’s markets for wood products for the past 13 years. He has traveled extensively throughout the MENA region, developing a wealth of contacts and experience and providing consultancy services to a range of government and industry clients on a long term or one-off basis. For more information, see www.broadleafconsulting.com
‘out of the Woods - Adventures of 12 Hardwood Chairs’
Ground breaking LCA research helps RCA students generate full environmental profiles for each of their designs
The ‘Out of the Woods -
Adventures of 12 Hardwood
Chairs’ project culminated in a
fantastic high profile exhibition and
press conference at the Victoria and
Albert Museum as part of the London
Design Festival 2012. The project was
a collaboration between the American
Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the
leading international trade association
for the American hardwood industry,
and the Royal College of Art (RCA)
in London. The 12 chairs and seats,
which were designed and made by top
product design students from the RCA,
were shown in a creative display that
told the story of the project, and how
for the first time, full environmental
profiles had been developed for each
design using AHEC’s ground breaking
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) research.
The students were invited to work
with craftsmen at Benchmark Furniture
to finalize the designs and make their
prototypes earlier this year. Benchmark,
which was founded 30 years ago
by Sean Sutcliffe and world famous
designer Sir Terrence Conran, who
invited the students to camp in his
grounds, provided a unique educational
experience. As a result, twelve very
different seating installations were
created in a wide range of U.S.
hardwoods, including lesser known
species such as gum, pecan, hickory and
soft maple. In addition, each student
recorded all the inputs and impacts of
manufacture to develop an LCA profile
for each piece using the ‘i-report’
modeling system developed specifically
for the project by PE International.
“Our collaboration with the RCA and
Benchmark has resulted in fascinating
approach to working with an age-old
material. This unique exercise has
not only thrown the spotlight on the
beauty of American hardwoods but it
has also helped the students explore
the creative and environmental
potential of this naturally renewable
material by looking at the entire life
cycle of each product,” said Roderick
Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa,
Middle East, India and Oceania.
“By ensuring that every scrap of
material and minute of production
time was carefully recorded during
the manufacturing of these twelve
wooden chairs, we have been able to
help produce life cycle assessments,
charting the projected lifespan of each
chair against the cost of resources and
processes needed to produce it.”
Following the completion of the
prototypes, AHEC has produced
a publication that documents the
story, highlights the use of American
hardwoods and environmentally profiles
each design. In addition, the RCA
students have also produced a creative
publication, with support from AHEC,
that imagines the possible life scenarios
of these designs with the help of some
of the UK’s leading poets and writers.
“With the completion of our
LCA research study into American
hardwoods, the challenge now remains
to integrate life cycle thinking into all
stages in the design, manufacturing
and delivery of products containing
U.S. hardwoods. As a first step, the
LCA data for U.S. hardwood lumber
is being made available to suppliers
and specifiers by way of PE’s online
‘i-report’ tool, which will enable specific
data to be generated for individual
species, lumber thickness, processing
parameters (such kiln efficiency and
energy sources), transport distances
and modes (truck, ship, rail). This
project with the RCA has enabled us
to show the full environmental impact
of the designs produced and paves
the way for a more scientific approach
towards specification of timber,”
concluded Wiles.
www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 201230
36 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
FEATURE
World’s tallest timber building ‘tops out’ in MelbourneConstruction innovation heralds new era for building industry
forTé
Location: 807 Bourke Street, Victoria Harbour, Melbourne, Victoria
Size: Forté is the tallest timber apartment building in the world rising up to 32.17 meter
Population: 23 apartments, over 10 storeys including:- 7 x 1 bedroom (59m2)- 14 x 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (80m2)- 2 x 2 bedroom penthouse (102m2)
Time Frame: Start on-site: February 2012Begin Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) installation: May 2012CLT structure complete: August 2012Target construction completion: November 2012
Project cost (construction): Apartment tower: AUS $11 million
Sustainability and a lowered environmental footprint have been the key drivers behind the wide use of engineered timber, more commonly referred to as CLT, in Europe for more than a decade. A building material that has been around for centuries, timber, enables the permanent capture of carbon so buildings become essentially carbon sinks
Forté is a showpiece for natural and new, where modern architecture meets a natural building material. It will offer a different way of living through reduced energy costs due to better thermal performance, an abundance of natural light, ventilation, sweeping views and a healthier living environment
FEATURE
38 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
40 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
PROFILE
Miro Forestry aims for leadership within the sustainable plantation forestry industry in West Africa
Miro Forestry forecasting annual supply in excess of 500,000 cubic
meters by 2018 Miro Forestry is a commercially
focused and sustainable
forestry business centered
in West Africa. As an independent
Cayman Islands incorporated private
limited company headquartered
in Dubai, the company owns and
operates sustainable forestry
plantations of fast growing timbers
for the production of lumber, poles
and biomass in Ghana and Sierra
Leone. The company manages its own
forestry plantations, which cover
approximately 25,000 hectares of
land, and commenced planting a
mix of fast growing timber crops in
February 2010.
With an aim to be a leading,
commercial and sustainable
The Boumfoum Forestry Plantation consists of 5,000 hectares of fertile land located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The company’s land is located about 10 minutes drive from the town of Agogo and about one hour from Kumasi.
The plantation is around 7° north of the equator and has a tropical climate with average monthly temperatures ranging between 24°C and 28°C
and annual rainfall between 1,500 - 1,650mm. The rains predominantly fall in June, July and September with the driest hottest months being December through to March.
The land on which Miro Forestry is establishing plantation forests was severely degraded during the 1980s and 1990s by agricultural clearing and heavy logging. Today, the land has been designated a forestry
reserve, and the Ghanaian Forestry Commission are very supportive of foreign investment being deployed to reforest the area. Moreover, Miro Forestry works in close consultation with local subsistence farmers in the area aiming to deliver mutual benefit through education and controlled agro-forestry practice.Most of the soils are well drained and considered ideal for trees such as Teak and Eucalyptus. The land
areas not planted by the company currently hold a canopy cover of less than 5 percent and show a dominance of secondary growth species such as elephant grass, characteristic of the transition zone, and is ideally suitable for growing both indigenous and commercial timber species.
boumfoum foresTry, ghANA
plantation business that operates
to high management, social and
environmental standards, Miro
Forestry focuses on fast-growing,
high-yield plantation timber that
enables it to cater to both local and
international markets. The company
mixes commercial plantation forestry
with protection and regeneration
of indigenous tree species, and
also promotes bio-diversity and
environmentally sustainable land-use
management. As such, the company is
also able to continue delivering both
attractive returns to investors as well
as significant social and environmental
benefits within local communities.
Managed by an experienced team
of forestry, business and investment
Andrew Collins, Executive Director & CEO, Miro Forestry
The company aims to continue to conserve and expand natural forest and other valuable vegetation within its areas of operation and to also obtain FSC certification for all its forest plantations
42 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
PROFILE
company’s management. According to
Collins, the plantations currently are
still immature and no timber has been
harvested. However, the company is
positive of harvesting timber from
2016 onwards and building up towards
an annual supply of over 500,000
cubic meters per annum from 2018.
SpeciesMiro Forestry owns and operates its
own forestry plantations in Ghana
and Sierra Leone, which cover over
25,000 hectares of degraded land,
and commenced planting a mix of fast
growing timber crops in February 2010.
However, it is important to note that
selecting the correct species for future
plantings is not just about the timbers
and products that the market demands;
it is very important to select species that
grow well on the proposed planting site.
West Africa has ideal climatic conditions
for maximum tree growth and
competitive operating costs; it is also
a region with significant and growing
demand for timber products. As such,
the company is focusing on Eucalyptus,
which is appropriate for construction
and for transmission poles, sawn timber,
wood chip for wood based panels and
biomass, with a view towards selling
this in West Africa and into Europe.
Wood ProductsIn addition to its own plantation,
The company’s Yoni Plantation consists of 21,000 hectares of flat and fertile land located in the Tonkolili District of Sierra Leone, 90 miles from Freetown, the country’s capital, and adjacent to the country’s major highway into Freetown. At this plantation, fast rotation species, predominantly including Eucalyptus, are grown to cater to demand from the local transmission pole market as well as for export. Due to the proximity of the land to Freetown, and substantial deepwater port
facilities, the company has good access to the North American and European lumber, pulp and biomass markets, which are characterized by increasing demand coupled with decreasing supply.
The Yoni Plantation is around 8.5° north of the equator and has a tropical climate with average monthly temperatures ranging between 26°C and 36°C and annual rainfall in excess of 2,000mm. The dry season typically spans between December and
March having less than 100mm of rainfall.
The land on which Miro forestry has established its plantation forests was once forested with primary forest. However, the land now consists of secondary growth including grasses, low level bush and palms. The land is being leased under long-term agreements with landowners ratified by the chief’s and government as legal custodians.
The land area has limited subsistence
farming going on which is primarily centered around the low lying swampy areas for rice cultivation unsuitable for forestry. The Company works in ongoing consultation with local farmers and aims to bring additional benefit to such farmers through opening up swampy areas for rice cultivation and enabling controlled agro-forestry thus providing clear land for subsistence farming, mutual crop protection and keeping the land free of nutrient sapping undergrowth.
A key highlight at this year’s event was the wide array of large-scale plants that were on display. In keeping with the 20th anniversary of the event, the organizers displayed a total of 20 production-ready large-scale lines
HoMAG Group hosts the 20th edition of its annual ‘treff’ expo in Schopfloch
World premier of the ‘Ambition 2200 NEW’ edge
banding technology at landmark event
Looking back over 20 years of the HOMAG Treff: 35,000 visitors from 70 countries - and innovations which shape our industry. Yesterday, today, and into the future!
44 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com | November 2012
TECHNOLOGY
the broad-based expertise of HOMAG’s plant
specialists, and more importantly the trust
placed in them by customers.
The company was also able to highlight the
success of ‘woodWOP’, which over the course
of 20 years has become the most frequently
installed programming system with over 30,000
users worldwide and is now also the established
standard for CNC training in vocational training
schools and technical universities. At the
2012 Treff, the latest version of the program -
woodWOP 6.1 - was launched. The new version
comes with integrated CAD functionality and
offers users the scope for operators to generate,
import or modify CAD drawings in the office or
directly at the machine, supported by a wide
range of drawing and modification functions.
Further, this is not restricted to only the basic
coordinate system, and can be implemented on
any optional level.
highLighTs of The 2012 homAg Treff:• Biggest display ever with 20 large-scale plants: Batch size 1 and series production solutions• World premier of the Ambition 2200 NEW: Industrial- standard edge banding technology with a woodworking shop price tag• Venture 316: 5-axis technology for woodworking shops• Edge banding with zero joint in through feed and on processing centers• Window production cells with automatic feed• iPackage compact for BMG 316 and Ambition 2200 NEW: the customer-oriented service solution for woodworking shops• On-the-spot inspection at the HOMAG Treff ‘Pit Stop’: customers had the opportunity to bring their exchange processing units for some expert attention
20 years of the HOMAG Treff - 20 large-scale plants were on show live in action!
The Ambition 2200 NEW: Great on flexibility - small on priceGrowing with HOMAG......Timber is our raw material
20 years of woodWOP - with over 30,000 users the most successful programming system worldwide
Date: 31 January - 3 February 2013Venue: India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater NoidaLocation: New Delhi, Indiatimings: 31 January (Thursday), 10:35 - 18:00 and 1 - 3 February (Friday - Sunday), 10:00 - 18:00expecteD attenDees: 25,000+WeBsite: www.delhi-wood.com
The second World Congress of Timber and Wood
Products Trade is set to take place in Taicang, China
under the theme ‘Embracing New Pattern of International
Trade Together’ from November 27 - 29, 2012. Jointly
organized by the China Timber and Wood Products
Distribution Association, Taicang Municipality Government
of Jiangsu Province and the Jiangsu Taicang Port
Administration Committee, the conference aims to provide
a platform for business leaders in timber and wood
product trade to get together and explore paths towards
improved accountability, profitability and sustainability
within the timber business against the background of
changing economic and policy environment.
The conference is being held in China, which has
developed into world’s largest timber and wood product
trading centre. China’s unprecedented economic growth
has led to its robust demand for timber and wood
products. In 2011, China’s timber and wood product
industry total output value amounted to USD 300 billion,
which represented an increase of 23.9 percent over 2010.
With its steadily growing domestic demand for timber
and wood products, China is set to continue to demand
large volume of timber from international market.
Co-organized by the Taicang Timber and Wood
Products Distribution Association, Shanghai Furen
Forest Products Wholesale Market, and Shanghai Timber
Industry Association, the conference will be attended
by timber and wood product suppliers and traders
from around the world with a view to further explore
business opportunities with China. As such, the congress
will provide an excellent opportunity to meet and
establish business relationship with China’s largest timber
importers and wood product producers.
dElhIWood 2013
The 3rd edition of Delhiwood is being organized from 31st
January - 3rd February 2013 at the India Expo Centre &
Mart, Greater Noida. On account of demand from within the
timber industry in India, PDA Trade Fairs and the European
Federation of Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers
Associations (EUMABOIS) organized the first ever Delhiwood
in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from the 14 - 17th February
2009. The exhibition drew tremendous response with over
300 exhibitors from 29 countries taking part in the inaugural
event. Ever since the first event in 2009, Delhiwood and the
Indian Woodworking Industry have complemented each other
in their growth. In principle, the event offers a successful
platform to convert market potential to business within the
woodworking sector in India.
The show next year will aim to showcase the latest in wood
processing technologies including sophisticated CNC machines,
accessories and tools from all over the world. The aim is to
bring together a comprehensive range of materials and fittings
to help give an impetus to the growth of industry in India.
Delhiwood 2013 will have several new elements including a
special zone for demonstrations and display of woodworking
machinery; an option for pre-arranged business meetings with
exhibitors for pre-registered visitors; and an exclusive hall for
non-machinery exhibitors. In addition, Delhiwood 2013 will
also display new exhibit profiles including those companies
involved with wooden doors, windows, flooring and parquetry.
SHOWTIME
ForEsT day 6
Date: 2 DecemberVenue: Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)Location: Doha, Qatartimings: 2 December (Sunday), 8:00 - 19:00WeBsite: www.forestsclimatechange.org/events/forest-day/forest-day-6/forest-day-6.html
CHINA INTerNATIONAl WOOD AND WOOD PrODUCTS exPO 21st - 23rd NovemberOlympic Green Convention Center (CNCC)Beijing, Chinawww.mujiaohui.com
FIMAP / FerrAlIA 201221st - 24th NovembereXPONOR - Porto International FairPorto, Portugalwww.fimap.exponor.pt/default.aspx
WOrlD CONGreSS OF TIMBer AND WOOD PrODUCTS TrADe27th - 29th NovemberTaicang Jinling Garden HotelTaicang, Chinawww.cnwood.org
FOreSTTeCH 201228th - 29th NovemberBayview eden HotelMelbourne, Australiawww.foresttechevents.com
BUIlDexPO WeST AFrICA 2012 29th November - 3rd DecemberDakar International Fair GroundsDakar, senegalwww.expogr.com/senegal/build
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