Today, India continues to demand wood for re-man applications such as joinery, furniture, door/windows, millwork and more besides for structural applications that have in recent times been largely limited to posts-and-beams and roofing etc.
This demand places an extensive pressure on domestically available species that have been dwindling in supply due to reducing forest cover and forest conservation laws. Now more than ever there is a need to adopt and accept responsibly sourced wood species that are certified and sourced from sustainably managed forests like that of Canadian Wood.
FII India, better known as “Canadian Wood,” is a crown agency of the government of British Columbia (B.C.) with a mandate to promote B.C. forest products in the offshore markets As one of the largest producers of softwood in the world, few places on earth can match Canada’s potential as a long-term source of supply of wood to fibre deficit countries such as India. Canadian Wood has been actively engaged in educating the Indian wood industry about its species through various initiatives including sharing of best practices, hand holding at ground level in applications of the species and connecting the industry with lumber companies in B.C., Canada.
Continuing with its effort in the pandemic era, Canadian Wood has conducted numerous webinars on topics of relevance to the wood working industry while sharing information on a range of topics like best practices in manufacturing furniture, doors, door frames, windows and window frames, use of wood for architecture (post-and-beams, wooden frame construction, Tongue & Groove style etc.) and more.
The recent webinar conducted by Canadian Wood was the sixth in the series titled ‘Certified wood from sustainably managed forests. The webinar was attended by reputed manufacturers & interior designers, architects and builders &developers across India.
Two key presentations were made at the webinar. The first one titled ‘Certified wood from sustainably managed forests’ by Nirmala Thomas, Director - Market Development, FII covered in-depth information on the rigorous sustainable forestry management practices in B.C. that ensure that every piece of Canadian lumber is legally sourced and certified. Noteworthy facts about Canada like having almost 0% de-forestation over the last 20 years, highest number of certified forests in the world were also presented along with video footages on the sophisticated and interconnected processes right from planting forests to harvesting and manufacturing lumber products in B.C., Canada.
Speaking about the webinar Nirmala Thomas said, ‘As one of the largest producers of softwood in the world, B.C. Canada’s lumber products are today used in a wide range of applications around the world showcasing their aesthetic and versatile qualities that include strength and durability. What is most critical is that the sourcing is legal, and the lumber is PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. As the wood working industry grows increasingly eco-conscious and so does the end consumer, Canadian wood species present themselves as seasoned, graded, sized, almost ready to use lumber that is a definite responsible choice while considering building with wood.’
The first presentation was followed by a second one titled ‘Business case on chain of custody certification’ by guest speaker Arun Kumar Bansal, Chairperson PCA WG NCCF (NCCF-PEFC). Arun elaborated on the intensive mechanism of chain of custody certification that can help ensure the traceability of wood material from a certified forest to any point along the supply chain. His presentation included specific& elaborate references to PEFC - one of the most recognized international wood certifications.
Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII said “While we hope that the pandemic ends soon, social distancing till then is a reality in the new normal and it is here to stay for some time. Thus, FII decided early-on to reach out to its target audience through a series of webinars to carry on its program of creating awareness and educating the market about Canadian wood forest products from B.C. Canada. This has helped us stay engaged with our stakeholders in India in line with our commitment to share knowledge and expertise.”
Further adding on the topic, he commented “Certification is a critical parameter which ensures that the wood used by the architects, developers, manufacturers, and contractors etc. in their projects is legally sourced from sustainably managed forests - hence this webinar. We are honoured to have Arun Kumar Bansal, a senior forestry professional and a stalwart in promoting certification in India through NCCF, an affiliate of PEFC. PEFC as you may know is “The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification” an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that promotes sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification. We are proud to say Canada is a world leader in forest certification and majority of forests in B.C. Canada are PEFC certified.”
