Responsible timber purchasing discussed on national radio
Quito, Ecuador, 21st May 2009—TRAFFIC and national community rafdio co-ordinators CORAPE, together with IUCN and Rainforest Alliance hosted a national radio debate on Responsible Timber Procurement in Ecuador this week.
Latin America is a major timber producer and consumer. The State of Sao Paolo in Brazil, for example, is one of the largest consumers of tropical timber in the world. It consumes around 4 million cubic meters of tropical wood per year. This volume is greater than all the consumption of tropical timber from the countries of the European Union combined. In Ecuador the State is the largest timber consumer, purchasing wood for everything from railway sleepers to school buildings and desks, for buildings and housing projects, and for large infrastructure projects.
THe panel during the national radio show put forward compelling arguments as to why a Responsible Timber Purchasing policy was essential for all governments and private enterprises in the region to follow. .
