Singapore consumers help saving forests

The figures speak for themselves: 13 million hectares of natural forest are disappearing annually. This means a loss of 25 hectares, or 36 football fields, every minute of the day!

The main causes of this decline are illegal logging and unsustainable forest exploitation. Yet there is hope for our natural forests because consumers may use market mechanisms to halt the forest plunder by increasing demand for wood produced through responsible forestry.  Such products can be identified through a quality label controlled by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). More information on the FSC label read here.

FSC certified products are not always easy to find in shops but this situation will change when consumers demand for such products. Today there are 12 companies in Singapore that have obtained FSC certification including Acacia Corporation, Chuan Soon Huat Industrial Group, Equatorial Wood Co. Pte Ltd, Ivena International Pte. Ltd., Paget Trading Ltd., Premed International Pte Ltd, Sinmayan Co. Pte.Ltd., Sinvico Trading Pte.Ltd., Sudima International Pte Ltd, Sunrise Doors International Pte. Ltd., Tectona Marketing Services (S) Pte.Ltd. and Test Rite Pte.Ltd.

So, if consumers can not find FSC certified products in our shops they should ask the shopkeeper. When demand is increasing the shopkeepers will surely follow.

Consumers may also help creating demand by pledging to buy future FSC certified products. WWF has just launched an International FSC action on its panda passport site allowing people around the world make such pledges. It is important that this campaign reaches out to the community, so please convince your family and friends. You may also use special events such as birthdays, marriages, corporate jubilees, etc. and ask participants to make FSC action pledges rather than bring ordinary gifts. After all saving the natural forests today carries a strong message of hope for our younger generations. It is unthinkable that our children would be deprived of  the economic and spiritual values that natural forests bring to us!