Bob Johnston

By Bob Johnston, Executive Director, Tropical Forest Foundation
I was flying to New Haven, Conn., to speak at the Forest Forum at Yale University when my seatmate, Jim, craned his neck over an article I was reading on the conservation of tropical forests. His curiosity started a conversation that brought to light some common misperceptions. When I explained to him my role at the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) and how it has forestry training centers in Brazil, Guyana, Indonesia and Gabon, he looked surprised.

“I didn’t know that they had any forests left in Brazil,” Jim said. “I thought they had burned and logged them all down.” While Jim was not in the wood products business, the common misperception he voiced is one of the factors undermining the efforts to keep the forests standing. I’ve met wood buyers who weren’t purchasing tropical woods because they thought they would be contributing to deforestation. Instead, the opposite is true. Not buying tropical woods can contribute to deforestation.

Almost half the world’s forests are in the tropics, the area between the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, nearly one-third of the rainforests are in Brazil and one-fifth exists in Congo and Indonesia. Much of the loss of rainforest is caused by conversion to agriculture: crops, ranches and plantations.

SMITHSONIAN WORKSHOP: TROPICAL FORESTS MUST HAVE ECONOMIC VALUE
Since 1989, the findings of the Smithsonian Tropical Forestry Workshop have been widely accepted by scientists, environmentalists and the timber industry. The three core principles are:

• Tropical forests will be conserved only if they have economic value.
• Blanket bans and embargos tend to depress the value of hardwoods and the forests.
• Funds obtained from products of the tropical forests must be re-channeled into managing and regenerating those forests.

In other words, to keep the tropical forests standing, we must maintain their economic value by purchasing products from well- managed sources that are investing in the forest for the long term. The buying practices of the companies serving the commercial and residential building industries — flooring to furniture, millwork to decking, and more — are as critical to the future of the forests as proper management of the forests themselves.

The Tropical Forest Foundation was formed in 1990 following the Smithsonian Workshop to advance environmental stewardship, economic prosperity and social responsibility through sustainable forest management (SFM). TFF is on the ground in tropical forests on three continents, training wood suppliers for certification. The practices taught by TFF improve economic value while minimizing environmental impacts.

A recent study in Africa conducted for the UN’s International Tropical Timber Organization showed the practices taught by TFF increased yield by 17%, improved machine and labor efficiency, decreased damage to the disturbed surface by 15%-19%, supported greater biodiversity and increased carbon sequestration over conventional industry practices. In Brazil, where TFF has been providing training since 1994, these practices have shown cost savings of up to 12%.

TFF is making a difference in tropical forests. By purchasing wood products from responsible suppliers, you can make a difference, too. Visit for more information and become a member to show your support for better industry practices.