What is sustainable timber?

Sustainable timber is timber which is harvested from forests which are managed in a sustainable manner. This means that only such an amount is harvested as the forest can regenerate itself, so the future of the forest is secured. Sustainability also takes biodiversity into account. Tropical forests are among the places in the world with the highest amount of different plant and animal species and with the disappearance of these forests also a high biodiversity loss is expected.
But not only animals and plants live in the forest, many indigenous peoples also depend on the forest for their survival. Most of their rich cultural knowledge is directly tied to the forest, keeping this rich knowledge existent is also part of sustainability.

Why sustainable timber?

Tropical forests play a major role in the global climate with their unique quality of both storage and release of CO2, furthermore they are home to the largest biodiversity in the world and to many indigenous peoples for whom their survival depends on the forest. Using sustainable timber guarantees the survival of the forest and all the functions it fulfills, not only for us, but also for the generations to come.