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itFSC® 100% certified wood
WHY DO WE USE FSC® 100% CERTIFIED HARDWOODS?
Useful information about wood and forests
What does "FSC Certified" mean?
Why are forests important?
Forests stabilize the global climate by acting as large ‘air conditioners’ that convert solar energy into water vapour, thereby cooling the atmosphere and generating rainfall in all of the regions north and south of the Equator. Forests make sure that rainfalls and the water cycle are maintained throughout the world, thus making life on earth possible. They also provide water to cities, to agriculture and to industry, thereby ensuring the existence of humanity. Deforestation, therefore, threatens this vital resource.
Especially in the Tropics, but also at more northern latitudes, forests store enormous quantities of carbon dioxide. When they disappear, the greenhouse gases that are dangerous for the climate remain in the atmosphere. Deforestation is responsible for 17% of the global emissions of CO2. When areas of forest are clearcut, or in the event of deforestation caused by intentional fires, climate-altering gases contained in the humus and in the soil are released into the atmosphere along with the carbon stored in the wood. Tropical forest deforestation is particularly detrimental. The fight against climate changes will not be won if we don’t preserve our tropical forests.
Effective measures capable of contrasting climate change consist in the protection of forests and in reforestation practices that are as natural as possible.
Why is it so difficult to make an environmentelly friendly choice?
Because the conversion into other forms of use up until now has always been far more profitable than forest conservation, and because many different factors come into play: forests are used for the production of timber, and they are cut down to leave room for farming, for mining raw materials and for infrastructure projects. In industrialised countries, deforestation is driven mainly by the demand for agricultural products such as beef, palm and soybean oil. About 60% of the deforestation occurring in Brazil, for example, is due to the zootechnical industry and to the creation of new pastureland for the animals. In Indonesia most of the forests are cut down to create palm oil cultivations. The poverty and demographic growth in developing countries are increasing the demand for land exploitation.
In fact, it is much more profitable to deforest and use the resulting land in a different way, mostly for agriculture. Until now, the value of a natural forest and of its utility for mankind and for the environment have been severely underestimated. Only when the forests’ various ecological - and therefore social - functions will be given a monetary value, then the likelihood of preserving them adequately will increase.
Forest management based on FSC® standards helps protect forests over the medium and long term because the forest brings direct benefits to the local population and it is not cut down for other purposes. In this way it is not lost forever.
Moreover, if one considers their special properties (durability lasting decades), exotic woods are still sold at prices that are too low, and consequently the value of exotic forests is underestimated.
HOW DO WE DECIDE WHAT TO CHOOSE?
Based on the ecological footprint of a product we can say, after specific analyses and research, that the choice of FSC® 100% exotic woods as a precious raw material has a significantly lower impact compared to the choice of European woods, modified woods, bamboo or other solid wood alternatives.
A useful life of at least 25 years justifies our choice of exotic wood and validates our commitment to this type of timber.