Story/Place-Jaipur
Rachna Singh, May 29, 2011,
JAIPUR: A three-day conference on 'Responsible wood trade, forest certification and market links' to build capacities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the processing sectors of Rajasthan, Kerala, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh is underway in the city. The conference, which brought major stakeholders from wood and handicraft industry, and the World Wildlife Fund, was organised here as the city has become a ub for export of handicraft items. "This was the first time a mass awareness programme was planned for the SMEs in Jaipur and the city being the hub of export handicraft items was chosen as a prime location for organising the conference," T R Manoharan, head of Forest Programme India, said. The conference, which began on May 27, was in line with a project supported by the European Commission under its SWITCH ASIA programme. "A major objective of this project is to build capacity among SMEs in wood processing sectors of Rajasthan, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh to provide certified sustainable forest products to national and international markets," Manoharan said. The conference organised during the International Year of the Forests saw a series of meetings with industry experts and resource persons speaking on issues ranging from responsible sourcing of wood to forest certification, legal compliance and environmental regulation in the export market of India's wood products. Art and design improvement techniques and methods of reusing and recycling the wood waste were also discussed that would help reduce wood consumption and hence reduce the cost. The experts gave focus on a new WWF report which says policymakers and business leaders must quickly back a bold target to stop forest loss as part of efforts to conserve biodiversity and fight climate change. The WWF's 'Living Forests Report', examines the drivers of deforestation and identifies the opportunities to shift from business as usual to a new model of sustainability, which can benefit government, business and communities.
source-timesofindia.indiatimes.com
sourced by jimsjungleretreat.com
No comments:
Post a Comment