The main objective was to draw attention to the added value of certification, for both producers and their customers, a matter of vital importance for the future viability of the forestry/tropical timber industry in the Congo Basin.
All the key players ─ Congo Basin producers, experts, European customers, operators and NGOs ─ were well represented. The meeting aimed to find practical ways of improving the balance between a sometimes irregular supply and the tendency of buyers to prefer non-certified sources of wood.
Certification is key to the sector’s vitality
Within this framework, FSC emphasized the advantages of certification as a way of developing the industry for the benefit of both customers (enabling them to buy quality timber harvested with a view to forest sustainability) and producers (developing their capacities and contributing to the protection and maintenance of regional forest resilience).
While the timber market is sensitive to economic fluctuations, marketing certified products creates a niche market which is not destabilized by crises. “At the time of the major crisis in 2008-2009, FSC-certified forestry companies neither lost nor reduced their market share,” explained Mathieu Auger-Schwartzenberg, FSC Congo Basin Director. The marketing of certified products will therefore ensure lasting success, and economic viability in the long term.
This analysis was confirmed by Rupert Oliver, a commercial analyst from Independent Market Monitoring (IMM). While noting fluctuations in timber exports to Europe, he put the significance of this problem in context by observing that Europe’s share of the world market remains at 30% for construction and 20% for furniture, which means that it is still a viable market for Africa.
Proving that the market continues to be attractive, buyers such as the companies Interholco, Precious Woods Holding AG and the SNCF group shared positive experiences. The SNCF group, in particular, has for many years used tropical timber for its sleepers and nowadays uses it for its stations, trains, fencing and cladding due to its natural durability. “We prefer tropical hardwoods that are legally and sustainably harvested” said Patrizia Gregori, the French national railway company’s Environment Pole Manager. “In this spirit, we support FSC certification.”
A consensus began to emerge: despite the sector’s great potential and some encouraging signs, the industry is having difficulty in achieving stability. Competition from Asia, the irregularity of stocks from certified forestry operations, the poor environmental image of tropical hardwoods and the inadequate coordination of marketing efforts all play their part.
To overcome these obstacles and improve the prospects for marketing FSC-certified products, the participants proposed six practical measures:
- Establish a Green Lane – or fast-track system – for the FSC as part of the EU Timber Regulation programme.
- Promote lesser-known timber species with equally good properties as a better solution to manage stocks while protecting forest biodiversity.
- Make the general public aware of the benefits of sustainable forest management for the climate, the conservation of water resources and the protection of biodiversity.
- Convince Asian businesses of the validity of certification to encourage them to purchase timber from responsibly managed forests.
- Reduce the costs of certification by simplifying the processes involved.
- Establish more direct and proactive communication with final users and influencers (professionals, buyers, architects…) concerning the benefits of certification.
These proposals are set forth in an action plan aiming for an 50 % increase in FSC-certified forests in the Congo Basin by 2030.