The Timber Trade Federation has discussed “good forest management” and “sound use of wood” issues with representatives of the Romanian and Cameroon authorities, forest and timber sector stakeholders.
The meeting in Romania was organised by the UNECE Timber Committee, the FAO European Forestry Commission, the Romanian ministry of agriculture and the country’s National Forestry Administration. It focused on “problems and opportunities for reaching sustainability in forest management as well as in the wood working industry”.
Specific topics covered included life cycle analysis, increasing wood’s competitiveness and timber industry promotion and communication. Certification and supply chain issues were also discussed with presentations from FSC and PEFC.
The meeting with the private sector, consumers and government in Cameroon looked at purchasing guidelines for UK traders and the upcoming African FLEG (Forest Law Enforcement and Governance) meeting.
The TTF organised stakeholder discussion groups in collaboration with the UK Department for International Development for the private sector and representatives of the public to discuss current issues of forest management in Cameroon. “There was interest in the TTF Code of Conduct and companies accepted the need for independent verification of legality as a necessity,” said a TTF spokesperson.
