Rio de Janeiro, 15 March 2018 – Today, BVRio and Imaflora published, with support of the Brazilian Forest Code Observatory, the study “Trading of timber products from community forest enterprises: diagnosis, options and recommendations for the sector“. This study presents a survey of the current situation of community forest management in Brazil in order to identify barriers and opportunities for the sector to grow.
Community forest management (MFC) in Brazil has the potential to exploit up to 46 million hectares in the Amazon Biome. Only in National and State Forests of the Amazon, which together occupy an area of more than 28 million hectares, it is estimated that the production of logs from sustainable management plans can generate between R$ 1.2 to R$ 2.2 billion per year. However, MFC’s contribution to the timber sector is far below its potential and it faces barriers currently difficult to overcome. There is a pressing need to provide training for communities involved in MFC to overcome the barriers raised, thereby promoting the legality of the sector and compliance with the Brazilian Forest Code.
Community Forest Management (MFC)
The Brazilian Land Statute defined the concept of “community manager” as one that promotes sustainable forest management in rural property, collective or otherwise, with an ideal fraction or individual area smaller than 4 inspection units, using the family’s own labor force, directing their facility or enterprise with their family, unless the family workforce or the group of beneficiaries is not numerically sufficient or technically able to meet the demand of the work, then it may be possible to use the help of third parties.
About BVRIO
BVRio Institute is a Brazilian organization with a mission to develop market mechanisms to facilitate compliance with environmental laws. BVRio developed a Responsible Timber Exchange, an online negotiations platform designed to promote the trading of legal and responsible timber products in a simple and efficient way, integrated with a Due Diligence and Risk Assessment system. Its use is free of charge and facilitates compliance with legislation, such as the EU Timber Regulation and the US Lacey Act (see video). BVRio has a formal Key Account partnership with the Forest Stewardship Council® Brasil, is a Climate Action Leader of the R20 Regions for Climate Action initiative, received the Katerva Awards 2013 for Economy, and is a partner of the Forest Legality Initiative.
About Imaflora
The Institute of Agricultural and Forest Management and Certification – Imaflora– is a civil non-profit association, founded in Piracicaba, in the interior of São Paulo, in 1995. Born under the premise that the best way to conserve tropical forests is to give them an economic destination, combined with good management practices and responsible management of natural resources. From this perspective, Imaflora believes that environmental certification is one of the tools that respond to part of the challenge with strong inducer power of local sustainable development in the forestry and agricultural sectors.