Globally, the forestry sector is facing several common problems, including deforestation and illegal logging. Deforestation is a major contributor to the loss of biodiversity, including many endangered species.
Illegal timber trading has been reported in many places to process and manufacture wood products. It is not surprising that many industrial customers and end-consumers of wood products have become increasingly interested in knowing whether their timber or wood products are sourced and manufactured in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. This, in turn, has highlighted the increased need for certificate of origin, chain of custody, supply chain traceability and transaction transparency during the entire life cycle from planting to cutting till distributing to the end customers.
Wood based industries (WBI) consist of pulpwood, plywood, MDF and particle boards. For them, organizing supply of wood raw materials is another challenge. AgriWood production by farmers is a critical necessity, but suffers from the absence of adequate legislation for exclusion of the same from restrictive legal provisions applicable on harvest and transport of trees planted on farmlands. For the industry, there is a lack of comprehensive plantation acreage and productivity data of entire plantations (raised by industries, government agencies, private nurseries as well as farmers on their own), making it difficult to predict wood availability, productivity of plantations and growth in wood requirement of existing as well as new entrant industries.
Sustainable supply of wood would ensure reduced lead distance, thereby benefiting industries as well as agro forestry farmers and reducing WBIs scope 2 carbon emissions.
