Volume VII Issue 3 - FALL 2009

Twenty-three African forest products companies have organized to create environmentally sound goals for their continent's timber industry. Africa Wood for Life requires its members to certify legality and traceability for its products. The members are committed to sustainable forest management certification and have set a goal of having 10 million hectares protected by 2015. At a press conference on May 14, the group focused on the timber industry in the Congo Basin, and set targets that actually exceed the levels of certification in the Amazonian Basin. The 23 member companies currently market FSC® certified wood products in Europe. These are products from well-managed tropical forests that respect social and environmental principles.

For more info, visit AWL online.

The concept is simple. The company grows tropical hardwood trees for you, for harvest and for profit.Lumber prices have steadily risen for more than a century, and it's also an investment in the environment. Every commercially grown tree replaces a rainforest tree that doesn't need to die. The company operates a huge operation in Costa Rica (two million trees on more than 14,000 acres), growing for themselves and also for thousands of investors that include individuals, IRA funds, companies, and trusts. Each year, they produce millions of board feet of sustainably grown tropical hardwoods.
"We will plant and grow for you, your children or grandchildren, your IRA, your company, church or school, trust or foundation, or anyone you wish," says Steve. Along with teak, TATF grows cocobolo, Cuban mahogany and other precious hardwoods. At harvest time, they will either mill your logs into marketable lumber, sell your hardwoods for you and send you the proceeds, or if you prefer, you are welcome to use or sell your logs or lumber yourself.