Just Forests has published a Good Wood Policy Guide advising how Irish society can have a positive effect on the world’s forests by their purchasing power.
Tom Roche, the Tullamore-based founder of Just Forests, said: “Figures for Ireland’s imports of tropical timber and wood based products show an increase of 41.25% in 2000 over the 1999 figure – most of this comes from unmanaged or inadequately managed forests in Africa and a considerable amount is the result of illegal logging.”
Mr Roche says that while Just Forests promotes the use of timber and wood based products, it insists this must come from independently certified forests. Currently the only scheme to meet Just Forests’ objectives is that of the Forest Stewardship Council.
Five thousand copies of the new guide will go to architects, local authorities, woodwork teachers, joineries, timber traders and importers and furniture makers in Ireland in a bid to make them aware of the global forestry issue.
The guide, which received financial backing from the Forest Service, Concern Worldwide and the National Committee for Development Education, will be officially launched in Dublin by the minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, on September 25.
