Sustaining forests, supporting forest-based value chains
The need for sustainable value chains for forest products
With the world’s population expected to grow to around 10 billion by 2050 and global wealth increasing, pressure on land use is rising. Nearly half of the Earth's original forests have already disappeared, and only a small portion of the remaining forests are protected. Reforestation is crucial, but it does not compensate for the unique value that old and original forests represent. That is why Probos actively contributes to preventing deforestation, both in the Netherlands and in vulnerable forests worldwide. Increasing the value of forests reduces the risk of degradation and conversion to other land uses. It strengthens the business case for forests and sustainable forest management.
In the sustainable forest based value chains the focus is on the following topics:
- Sustainable forest management & certification
- Timber markets & trade policies
- Private sector engagement & value chain innovation
- Data-driven research & market analysis
- Stakeholder collaboration & policy advisory
Sustainable Tropical Timber Trade Mission to Suriname
The objective of this project is to establish long-term business relations and creating business with European tropical timber traders, to support market entrance of (FSC) certified timber (-products) from sustainably managed forests in Suriname. As a means to reach this goal, a business visit for a group of 12 to 16 European tropical timber traders o/a buyers to Suriname was organized. The trade mission took place from November 7 to 14, 2015. A total of 17 participants joined the mission, representing 15 different organizations of which 10 companies potentially might directly buy forest products from the FSC certified Surinamese companies. All participants are enthusiastic about the mission and what the Surinamese companies have to offer. During the trade mission several individual business encounters took place and this continued after the mission. In fact, the importing companies are also considering collaboration to make sourcing of FSC-certified timber more cost-effectively.
Provide training on EU market access requirements for the tropical timber sector in Peru
The Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) – European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition and Centre for the Promotion of Import from developing countries (CBI) and the German Import Promotion Desk (IPD) and GIZ and have joined forces to support the tropical timber sector in Peru. CBI, part of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has commissioned Probos to conduct a training on EU market access requirements for the Tropical Timber sector in Peru (e.g. EUTR, CITES, REACH, ISPM 15, FSC, PEFC, etc.).
Green Public Procurement (GPP): from commitment to compliance
The IDH (the Sustainable Trade Initiative) Tropical Timber Program (TTP) focuses both on creating supply of sustainable tropical timber as well as demand for sustainable tropical timber. Three existing programs focus on tropical forest certification: one in the Amazon region, one in Borneo and one in the Congo-Basin region and one existing program focuses on increasing demand for sustainable tropical timber in the Netherlands.
