The Dutch-based Lesser Known FSC Timber Species Consortium has received more than 50 timber species from forest operations and sawmills in the Amazon, Congo Basin and Indonesia. It will now formulate a research plan for the most promising species (up to 15) with a view to introducing them for sale in Europe.
The consortium, managed by FSC Netherlands, consists of Houthandel Van Dam Bunnik, Dekker Hout Den Haag, Lionex, Precious Woods Europe and Wijma Kampen.
Liesbeth Gort, FSC Netherlands director, said forest managers in the tropics were often confronted with problems when marketing lesser known species on the European market.
"With this consortium we would like to develop secondary species for different fields of application: hydraulic construction and exterior applications, facades, window and door frames and construction components for interior use," added project leader Andries van Eckeveld.
More than half the selected species come from forests supported by the Sustainable Trade Initiative. The others are from forests owned by consortium members.
