Example of tropical wood from the ASIAN Greater Region
Along with the Congo Basin, South and Central America, Asia is one of the top world regions in terms of current deforestation rates for primary forests (primeval forests) worldwide. Indonesia, for example, is the world leader in biodiversity loss.
The figure shows current deforestation alerts in the Greater Asia region. The areas with remaining tropical primeval forests are marked in green. Areas marked in yellow are areas where deforestation alarms are repeatedly reported. The areas where currently high and persistent deforestation alarms are reported are marked in red.
Most violent deforestation alarms have been found for some years in Myanmar. The wood from Myanmar is - illegally - mainly exported to India and China and from there in products to Europe. But also Malaysia and Indonesia, Papua New Guinea or Laos are marked by current strong deforestation alarms in some sub-regions (basic data GFW, publications under wood from here, e.g. "Whitepaper "Rohstoffe für Fensterrahmen", January 2021).This wood also arrives in the greater region Corresponding buyers such as the large board and furniture factories in Vietnam and from there to China and from here also to Europe.The material flows in the Asian Greater Region are almost uncontrollable according to the WCMC and UNEP (e.g. UNEP and Interpol, 2012 report Green Carbon - Black Trade " or WCMC Report 2018, etc.).
Some of these countries even have VPA agreements with the European Union. This means that the wood that was felled here in primeval forests using logging concessions awarded by the state can also be legally imported into the European Union. It only needs the appropriate legality documents, which it certainly always has. These include countries such as Indonesia, the country with the world's highest rate of loss of ecosystems and biodiversity due to impacts in primary forests (IUCN red list, as of January 2021).
Reports from the WCMC, the United Nations environmental agency (UN e.g. from 2018), show how ineffective European due diligence has been so far.
Link: Due diligence
Without proof of the entire material flow, you can no longer be sure that the raw materials used in the preliminary products for plywood or chipboard furniture that you buy online for your office do not come from the Greater Asia region.
The timber trade within the Greater Region is considerable. The material flows flow from Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Laos primarily to China, India, Vietnam and Japan ... and from there also to Europe. The only way out is to directly purchase wood that is processed little or not at all, from areas that can be proven to be managed sustainably according to European standards.
However, it is still important for the customers of the manufacturers in Europe to know that wood from many countries in the Greater Asia region still often means that the wood for these products comes from natural or primary forests.
From China, India, Myanmar and Vietnam alone, the heavily mixed material flows of sawn timber, veneers, plywood, boards, preliminary furniture products, floors and furniture flow to Europe in considerable quantities.
WOOD FROM HERE would like to encourage you to think about whether it absolutely has to be tropical wood instead of domestic European wood from short distances?
Always ask exactly where the wood in your products comes from if you buy from such regions. It is best, however, to procure wood products from demonstrably short distances from sustainable European forest management, which were produced in their entire material flow in Europe.
Plywood, boards, veneers, boards and office furniture are coming to Europe more and more from the Greater Asia region. The following country profiles show you why you should always be skeptical at first and form your own opinion.
The following country profiles are currently available for municipalities that want to build and procure with HVH as argumentation aids for asserting the domestic European origin of wood products. More are in the works. Just call: 09209.918 97-51
Malaysia.pdf
Indonesia.pdf
Papua New Guinea.pdf
Loas.pdf
Myanmar.pdf
China.pdf
India.pdf
Vietnam.pdf
It should be expressly pointed out that the DLT, DST, DSTGB and BBSR may have different opinions on this content. It should therefore be expressly pointed out here that the responsible publisher of the country profiles is Holz von Hier.