Wood supply sources and management for handcrafts

Gustav Adu May 31, 2012

Legal: This simply means that the wood was harvested according to the laws of the origin country. Sustainable: This implies that the wood is harvested at a rate that allows for re-growth of the forest.

Decentralized Value Chain

- Most handicrafts are not exported by the actual producers, but rather by consolidators. - Products change hands various times before they reach their final destination - exporters must rely on producers to obtain the necessary documentation to show the origin of the materials

Procurement of Raw Materials

Production

Export

Packaging and Consolidation

Document that shows the origin of the wood

Mechanisms that track wood supply for export and ensure that it is legally procured.
WOOD EXPORTS FROM COUNTRIES THAT SIGN VPAs WILL SOON BE REGULATED BY THESE SYSTEMS.

Identify a geographic area where the wood can be found. May be from a natural forest, (state forest, private or collective forests) plantation, farm or imported from another country.

Develop an agreement with the landowner (SODEFOR-Socit de Dveloppment des Forsts; Forest Administrative Authority), if possible in writing. Obtain import documents if imported. Ask questions and be convinced that the wood was legally harvested, processed, sold and transported.

Apply to the forestry authority/SODEFOR/Individual or Collective Forest owners, for a permit to cut the trees. Obtain import license and documentations.

Forestry authority must do an inspection, measurement and count of the desired species of trees in the forest area. They then give a yield and mark the specific trees that are allowed to be cut.

The period to cut and remove the trees/products is specified .

Pay the stumpage fee required by the Forestry Authority. Pay taxes and charges on

imported material

The forestry authority inspects the site to ensure that only specific trees permitted were cut.

Forestry authority issues a permit for conveyance of the log. District Authority, Port Authority, etc. issue waybill to transport items

In Ghana, this document shows the origin of the wood and proves that the wood was extracted with permission from the Forestry Authority. This document should accompany the materials as they change hands.

LMCC

Principle 1

Source of Timber: The source of the timber is from prescribed source and the land owner(s) have given their written consent for the timber being taken from their land -An inventory of the tress is conducted - Land owner, individual or group written consent -Forestry Officer inspects trees - Land area identified, negotiation with land owner/farmer

Criteria

Principle 2 Criteria

Timber Rights Allocation: Contractor issued a prescribed permit by Forestry Authority Felling permit duly issued - Contractor issued a written permit by Station Forestry Manager with details of operations

Principle 3
Criteria

Contractor complied with forest operation procedures and standards specified by statute
- Enumeration of trees - Harvesting requirements followed and in areas designated -Records and reporting procedures followed -Species, numbers, volumes authorized harvested -Complied with forest operations procedures and standards; logs and stump numbered -Farmers compensated for damaged crops -Cut on instruction of Satation Forest Manager - Pre and post felling inspection undertaken -Post felling inspection by Forestry Officer to check harvest yield compliance CONTRACTOR TO KEEP COPY OF REPORT -Log and stumps must be numbered at all times

Principle 4 Criteria

Transportation: Timber was at all times transported in accordance with standards prescribed
-Document detailing origin of timber and physical identification -Timber transported within specified periods - Conveyance permit or Import permit issued, with explicit identification - Transport waybill issued by District Assembly or Authority - Timber often removed within

Principle 5

Processing

Criteria

-Processing facilities registered and have valid licenses - Industrial relation practices conform to legal standards - Processing records to trace timber and products

-May not be in all cases -Health and Safety and environment not often kept clean - Very limited record keeping

Principle 6

Trade: All vendors/exporters have valid licenses or permits to market timber products
Exporters have valid permits Domestic vendors have permits
-SODEFOR, Trade Agents, etc.

Criteria

Principle 7

Fiscal Obligation: Neither the contractor, processor, exporter was at the time of sale or export in default of fees, rents, taxes -Default of stumpage , compensation, Station fees -Default of export/trade fees/levies/renewal fees
-Default of corporate/income tax

Criteria

-Often paid before removing timber

- May not be consistent with payment - May not be consistent with payment

1.

Plantation wood (Teak, Cedrela, Gmelina, Mango, Neem <Azadirachta indica>, etc.)

2. Salvage or Scrap wood (abandoned wood, sawmill waste, recycled wood, etc.)
3.

Wood not threatened, not endangered, not from High Conservation Value Forest, not restricted. Look for lesser used wood species CITES Appendix II or III listed

4.

5. Restricted/Prohibited wood CITES Appendix II or III listed (with permit)

Mahogany, Aboudikro, Avdira, Makore, Sipo, Bete, Boss, Dibetou, Framir, Tiama, Assamela, Iroko, Kossipo, Kotibe, Lingu, Movingui, niangon, Ako, Frake, Onall,Samba, Azob.

Certification license (FSC, PEFC, etc.,)

FLEGT or VPA license Statement /Declaration confirming legal origin of raw material/Country of Origin

Raw Materials to Product ratios must be recorded in order to prove legality. If a document shows that a wood shipment is legal, then after the wood is transformed into product one must be able to show that the legal material is now a legal product.

Company Name Address

Lumber/Scrap Wood/Billet/Sh ell Code JFD-KB1-1 Transformed Into Djembe drum Dimensions

Phone # E-mail
Quantity Production Date ..

24x 9

JFD-KB1-2
JFD-KB1-3, JFD-KB1-4

Mini Djembe drum

Ashanti Mask Oware Game

10x 5
20x 17 10x 4

2
1 4

.
.

*With some form of record keeping, one can show which billet and which tree each product came from. This will make tracing the origin of the wood in the product easier!

We have offered an illustration of the wood supply for handcraft production which can be used as a basis for developing a tracking system.