Posted on October, 22 2009

The Bolivian Forestry Chamber (CFB), with the sponsorship of the Bolivian Council for Voluntary Forest Certification (CFV), WWF Bolivia, Rainforest Alliance and SNV, are organizing the 4^th Community Business Meeting for the Wood Industry, scheduled for Friday November 6^th in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

This is a specialized event geared towards promoting community business at the national level between forest producers and buyers of tropical wood, as well as commercializers of doors, flooring, decking, boards and sawn timber, among others. In addition, investors will also participate, as well as service, supply and machinery providers.

Before the Meeting, scheduled for the afternoon, CFV and WWF will work with chiquitano, guarayo and ayoreo community members to strengthen their negotiation skills and promote the group certification model, a scheme implemented by a mixed group of forest producers (an association of communities, private companies, and others). Group certification aims to overcome the problems of individual certification by gathering several areas under only one ‘resource manager’, who organizes the FSC certification process, allowing each member to benefit from large scale economies.

Bolivia has an enormous potential for applying the group certification scheme, considering that indigenous and peasant participation in forestry activities has increased in the last five years. WWF promotes certification as a mechanism to fight illegal logging and deforestation, aiming to conserve forests to reduce climate change and continue providing us with essential goods and services, for everyone’s safety and wellbeing.

The 3^rd Community Business Meeting for the Wood Industry carried out in 2008, generated approximately US$ 9 million in business intentions and 66 companies participate from all over Bolivia.

The registration cost is US$ 30 for members of the CFB and US$ 60 for non-members.

FIGURES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

2006
Nr. of Companies: 30 
Nr. of Community representatives: 15
Business intentions (in millions of US$): 6.5
Nr. of Appointments carried out: 128

2007
Nr. of Companies: 32
Nr. of Community representatives: 13
Business intentions (in millions of US$): 9.4
Nr. of Appointments carried out: 142

2008
Nr. of Companies: 33
Nr. of Community representatives: 33
Business intentions (in millions of US$): 9.0
Nr. of Appointments carried out: 203


For further information

• Karina Tellería, CFB, Tel.: (+591-3) 3332699, rueda.negocios@cfb.org.bo, www.cfb.org.bo
• Niels Rodriguez, CFV, Tel.: (+591-3) 3373133, cfv-nrodriguez@scbbs-bo.com, www.consejoforestal.org.bo
• Orlando Melgarejo, WWF, Tel.: (+591-3) 3430609, omelgarejo@wwfbolivia.org, www.panda.org/bolivia