From the forest to the consumer - GVces - Fundação Getulio Vargas
From the forest to the consumer - GVces - Fundação Getulio Vargas
From the forest to the consumer - GVces - Fundação Getulio Vargas
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it throughout <strong>the</strong> country <strong>to</strong> get <strong>to</strong> São Paulo, demonstrating <strong>the</strong> inefficacy<br />
of <strong>the</strong> controlling system. In 2000, a group of NGOs had published <strong>the</strong> report<br />
“Hitting <strong>the</strong> Target,” showing for <strong>the</strong> first time <strong>the</strong> destination of <strong>the</strong> Amazon<br />
native timber: São Paulo. Today, <strong>the</strong> state consumes 17% of Amazon production,<br />
most of it for civil construction applications.<br />
Enforcement against illegal logging is now reaching <strong>the</strong> <strong>consumer</strong> end of<br />
<strong>the</strong> supply chain. In April 2007, <strong>the</strong> state<br />
government started managing <strong>the</strong> fede-<br />
One out of five trees<br />
ral electronic controlling system in São<br />
harvested in <strong>the</strong> Amazon<br />
Paulo, but flaws soon became apparent.<br />
is used in São Paulo. Its<br />
“It was hard <strong>to</strong> obtain guidance from<br />
strong purchasing power<br />
Ibama about <strong>the</strong> system,” says Beduschi,<br />
can help in <strong>the</strong> fight<br />
who also acts as a state manager of <strong>the</strong><br />
against de<strong>forest</strong>ation<br />
DOF. However, progress with Cadmadeira<br />
got <strong>the</strong> state government interested<br />
in moni<strong>to</strong>ring. At <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r end, despite <strong>the</strong> enduring lack of information and<br />
disputing interpretation of regulations, businesses started <strong>to</strong> comply.<br />
“We are working on a guide for retailers,” says <strong>the</strong> manager. Few of <strong>the</strong>m<br />
are aware, for instance, that any volume of timber is subject <strong>to</strong> moni<strong>to</strong>ring.<br />
“Any amount of timber sold, even less than 2 cubic meters, needs <strong>to</strong> be in <strong>the</strong><br />
DOF,” says Beduschi. According <strong>to</strong> a National Environment Council standard,<br />
timber products sold must be classified by type – beams, boards, rafters, joists,<br />
etc.<br />
There are different problems. “In some cases, without an environmental<br />
license, trading companies will cut <strong>the</strong> timber again in order <strong>to</strong> make byproducts,”<br />
he says. As a result, <strong>the</strong>re is a difference between <strong>the</strong> electronic system<br />
balance and <strong>the</strong> actual s<strong>to</strong>ck, which can cause fines <strong>to</strong> be issued if <strong>the</strong>re is<br />
an inspection. “The challenge now is <strong>to</strong> convince retailers <strong>to</strong> sell only <strong>to</strong> building<br />
companies registered with <strong>the</strong> DOF,” says Beduschi. “To fight illegal timber<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> production process, it is crucial <strong>to</strong> work across <strong>the</strong> entire chain”.<br />
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