
The International Tropical Timber Organisation‘s Forum Together towards Global Green Supply Chains, held in Shanghai on 22-24 October 2019, highlighted the need to foster closer collaboration and exchange between all partners in global supply chains by sharing information and enhancing collaboration and know-how based on voluntary work among forests managers, producers, traders, processing industry and consumers.
Collaboration between International Tropical Timber Technical Association (ATIBT) and the China Timber and Wood Products Distribution Association (CTWPDA) will strengthen the dialogue and increase the impact of sustainably produced wood from West and Central Africa
According to the key outcomes of the Forum, for achieving legal and sustainable supply chains, there is a need for: sufficient technical expertise, research, capacity building and know-how, fiscal and other macroeconomic incentives for good business, access to finance at affordable interest rates, availability of information and data for decision making, stable legislation, transparency and good governance.
The Global Green Supply Chain (GGSC) Network will build an information database accessible to all including GTTN.
During the Forum, Eva Müller from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) chaired a meeting to discuss the future phase III of GTTN. Representatives from the European Commission, USA, Australia, Japan, Bioversity International (coordinator of phase I), the Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF), GGSC and ITTO took part. The next steering committee meeting will take place during the ITTO Council meeting in Lomé, Togo.