From the forest to the consumer - GVces - Fundação Getulio Vargas

17%
of Amazon timber is
consumed in the state
of São Paulo
From the forest to store windows
When it is transported to the cities,
timber is subject to inspection. The
cargo must match the information
contained in the transport permit.
When there are frauds, the volume
and species of timber stocked by
retailers and builders do not match
their balance in the electronic system.
Poor enforcement allows for illegal
timber to be used by consumers.
Problems in sawmills and factories
The government’s controlling system
assumes that half of the logs are turned
into lumber. The rest is classified as
residue. In fact, sawmills are able to
use less than the amount predicted by
the system. The difference between
the estimated and the real timber
usage ends up covering up the harvest
of timber from batches of illegal or
unknown origin.
Predatory felling
When there is fraud, credits issued to an
authorized management plan are used
instead to “legalize” wood harvested
in areas closed to exploration. In many
cases, the harvest takes place in areas
where conservation is mandatory, such
as riverbanks, or in public lands and
ecological reserves.
20%
of logging authorizations
issued by the state of Pará in
2008 and 2009 were fraudulent
lack of technical skills and
structure
The controlling system is hindered by
technical weaknesses and poor enforcement:
different management plans for the same
area overlap and areas already deforested
get logging licenses. It is difficult to prove
ownership of land, and conservation areas
and indigenous land end up licensed for
harvesting.
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