Supply chain network formed to save forest resources

Forest enterprises, timber associations, governments and intergovernmental organizations from home and abroad have agreed to create a voluntary network to enhance cooperation on the legality and sustainability of all forestry operations, according to a forum that concluded in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The two-day International Forum: Together towards Global Green Supply Chain was attended by some 400 professionals from the tropical timber industry and trade. 

They discussed topics like the contribution of productive forests and the wood industry to the mitigation of climate change and sustainable development, trends in global timber supply and the development of legality and sustainability in global wood supply chains.

The Global Green Supply Chain network will be maintained by a coalition of forest companies and other wood industry stakeholders committed to legal and sustainable supply chains. Its members pledged to help build a collaborative network to promote the sustainable development of forest industries and contribute to the conservation of global forest resources.

Ten representatives were employed as experts of the GGSC's think tank at the forum.

Meanwhile, forum participants tried to eliminate the misconception about the timber industry that it can cause unprecedented environmental challenges like climate change, deforestation, extinction of species and desertification.

"We know that forests, and especially tropical forests, contain extraordinary biodiversity, and are crucial for efforts on climate change mitigation and have huge cultural importance for indigenous and other traditional peoples," said John Leigh, Chair of the International Tropical Timber Council.

"Yet the land they occupy is also valuable for farming, ranching, mining and urban development. To minimize the risk of losing the forests, therefore, it is imperative that they generate substantive economic benefits for income, jobs, livelihoods and development in general. This is why we need green supply chains to ensure stable supplies — domestically and internationally — of legal and sustainable timber from well managed forests."

According to Gerhard Dieterle, executive director of the International Tropical Timber Organization, it's a relatively negative conception of the role of the forest and wood products as cutting of trees is seen as a bad thing. But if people look at the latest report from governments, it really says that the role of forests and forest products is essential to protect the global climate.

"If managed sustainably, forests can store carbon and take carbon out of the air. Also, forest products are important because even if you harvest a tree, the wood is not lost. It is conserved for a long time in programs. We call it storage," he explained. "It's more important that we are moving more towards an idea of natural solutions and bio-economy because bio-economy can reduce the use of non-renewable materials and promote energy with renewable resources."

Zhu Guangqian, a chief expert and senior engineer of the China Timber and Wood Products Distribution Association, told Shanghai Daily that forest coverage is growing along with the wood industry at a faster speed and the increment in forests is far more than the exploitation of wood. So if they're managed lawfully and sustainably, no harm will be caused. Instead, it can facilitate more tree plantation.