The furniture and wood industry, committed to sustainable practices

In this context, 2024 will bring a new edition of interzum bogota, with sustainability and circular economy as two of its four pillars, becoming a meeting point for industry leaders and sustainability experts, through the promotion of good practices at each stage of the industry's value chain that will be present at the fair. 

A pact for ecosystem protection 

Tree logging and its regulation is a hot topic in the industry and is at the center of the debate, with organizations such as the National Federation of Wood Industrials (FEDEMADERAS), the World Wildlife Fund Colombia (WWF Colombia), and Saving The Amazon leading the conversation. 

These organizations, allies of interzum bogota, are engaged in enhancing efforts towards a market for legal and sustainable wood, aligned with the Intersectoral Pact for Legal Wood in Colombia projected until 2030 and created in 2009 under the leadership of entities such as the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MinAmbiente), FEDEMADERAS, and WWF Colombia. 

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most outstanding initiatives in terms of forest governance in Latin America, establishing a regulatory framework that guarantees the conservation of natural resources and protects the rights of the communities living in these territories. 

As highlighted by Miguel Pacheco, Policy Director at WWF Peru, in the document on the implementation of phase 2.0 of the PIMLC: "The Pact serves as an example for strengthening forest governance in the country, even more so in the context of the forestry sector in Colombia, where it is recorded that 47% of wood production from natural forests is illegal or of unknown origin. These figures, which are not exclusive to Colombia, make the Pact a reference for countries in the region, where it has served as a model for implementation in similar platforms in countries like Panama and Peru." 

Moreover, the Pact is committed to generating strategies and tools that promote the sustainable use of forests, recognizing the importance of maintaining a balance between the exploitation of forest resources and the conservation of biodiversity and the ecosystem services that these natural habitats provide to humans. 

"This direction emphasizes the importance of adopting practices that protect forests and promote the sustainable use of resources in a country with immense forest potential. With 24 million hectares suitable for commercial forest plantations, Colombia represents a valuable opportunity to lead in conservation and sustainable forest management," stated Christian Guarín, Managing Director of Koelnmesse, the company that together with Corferias organizes interzum bogota 2024 and is responsible for raising the quality and internationalization standards of the fair. 

It is important to highlight that one of the main lines of action is the consolidation of an informed demand for legal wood products, which involves educating and raising awareness among consumers about the importance of purchasing products from legal and sustainable sources, as well as knowing how to optimize the consumption of resources used in the different phases of wood processing, topics that will be part of the academic agenda and various complementary events at interzum bogota. 

All these strategies are vital for protecting forests, considering the consumption of wood products by Colombians. According to data from DANE, in 2019, for every thousand inhabitants, almost 174 tons of forest products were consumed, which highlights the need to promote actions that allow for the increased availability of legal and sustainable wood. 

Allies of interzum bogota, key players in the efforts to conserve the planet's green lung

Saving The Amazon is an organization committed to conserving the planet's green lung, deploying an innovative strategy focused on reforestation with indigenous communities. This initiative, aligned with 9 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributes to issues such as climate change mitigation and gender equality by assigning most of the tree plantings to women. 

In addition, as mentioned earlier, the actions carried out by Saving The Amazon are 100% aligned with those 9 SDGs they aim for. 

Thus, they seek to support indigenous communities with the planting and care of native trees, some of them fruit-bearing and food-use, which help to reduce hunger in the villages and involve both men and women in gender equality to reduce inequalities, provide opportunities for decent and dignified work to foster the economic growth of the communities, and end poverty with responsible production and consumption that promote the life of terrestrial ecosystems and all planted forests are actions for the climate in favor of the fight against climate change. 

With over 642,000 native trees alongside 33 communities, Saving The Amazon is making a difference in the fight against deforestation and biodiversity loss. According to the IUCN Red List, this organization plants 38 species at risk of extinction, with a positive impact on the preservation of biological diversity. 

Use of sustainable materials and economic change 

In addition to governmental and industry commitments, it is crucial to highlight the role of companies working with sustainable materials, which allows for the promotion of ecological practices like those of Primadera and Wilsonart, who will be present at interzum bogota, leveraging innovations focused on sustainable processes and materials. 

During the development of interzum bogota 2024 at Corferias, from May 14 to 17, participants will be in a dynamic environment, where they will have access to comprehensive updates on various aspects linked to the latest trends in technologies, design, innovation, and especially, sustainability and circular economy in the furniture industry. 

Furthermore, the fair will provide a valuable opportunity to establish international business connections and allow attendees to interact with companies and professionals from different regions globally, contributing to the continuous evolution of the furniture manufacturing and wood processing sector. 

Access the four days of the fair for free by registering as a professional visitor at interzum-bogota.com.