Around the world, decision makers at the government, industry and consumer levels are recognizing that sourcing wood products from well-managed forests is critical to safeguard the health of global forests and to help tackle climate change. For India’s furniture and handicraft manufacturing sectors, certification requirements by major consumer markets, including North America, Australia and Europe, have meant an increased demand for legally sourced, sustainable wood products. This presents an exciting opportunity to further highlight the environmental pedigree of B.C.’s wood products in the market.
The Forestry Innovation Investment team in India (FII India) is tapping into this rising emphasis on certification by highlighting B.C.’s sustainably sourced, certified forest products across communications channels including exhibitions, training workshops, networking events, webinars and promotions.
In an example of this effort, FII India recently conducted a webinar on, ‘Certified wood from sustainably managed forests,’ that was attended by manufacturers, interior designers, architects, builders and developers from around India.
Two key presentations were made at the event. The first, titled, ‘Certified wood from sustainably managed forests,’ by Nirmala Thomas, Director of Market Development at FII India, covered in-depth information on the rigorous sustainable forest management practices in B.C. that ensure Canadian lumber is legally sourced and certified.
A second presentation titled, ‘Business case on chain of custody certification,’ by guest speaker Arun Kumar Bansal, Chairperson – Working Group on Promotion, Communication and Advocacy NCCF (Network for certification and conservation of forests), elaborated on the intensive chain of custody certification that ensures the traceability of wood material from a certified forest to any point along the supply chain.
In addition to this webinar, the FII India team has worked to highlight B.C.’s sustainable forest management practices through a digital advertising campaign targeting local wood industry professionals, as well as through a variety of social media posts and campaigns. The team also consistently shares the video, ‘The Story of B.C. Wood’ – developed by naturally:wood to inform viewers about B.C.’s sustainable forest management practices – with local partners and during all online webinars and training sessions.
By continuing to focus communications efforts on the value of B.C.’s sustainably sourced products, FII India is positioning British Columbia as a leader in sustainable forest management and a reliable supplier of certified wood products within India’s growing manufacturing sectors.
