Local and certified timber: Parma hosts the first meeting between supply and demand in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines

Around 50 institutions, forest owners, businesses and sector operators discussed development opportunities for the forest-to-primary-processing supply chain in the Italian pilot area.

The aim was to bring together those who manage the forests of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines with those who process and buy timber. On 22 September, around 50 people gathered at Palazzo Giordani in Parma for "Local and certified – Development opportunities for the forest-to-primary-processing supply chain in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines". The meeting was organised by project partners Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park, Conlegno and Etifor | Valuing Nature, with the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region.

The event created space for direct dialogue between supply and demand for locally sourced certified timber, meaning wood from forests managed according to recognised sustainability standards. Discussions focused on the resources already available in the area and how to turn them into value. Participants discussed how to increase the volume of local timber reaching sawmills and primary processing, what obstacles businesses currently face, and how certification can also become a commercial advantage.

The meeting identified the topics to work on in the coming months: timber availability and demand, the role of certification, the relationship between forest owners and businesses, primary processing, and the possibility of establishing stable agreements between timber producers and buyers. These topics require dialogue between actors who currently work on different segments of the same supply chain. For this reason, Parma marks the start of a collaboration process between the Park, the project partners and other key players in the sector.

"As coordinator of the forest certification group, the Park sees this process as a new opportunity to extend the project's benefits to the local area," says Giuseppe Vignali, Director of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park. "Certification guarantees that timber comes from responsibly managed forests and, together with a stronger local supply chain, can respond to a market that is increasingly attentive to the origin of materials. There is also an issue of great relevance for the climate: the carbon absorbed by trees remains stored in beams, furniture and other wood products, extending the benefit of our forests over time."

"Parma hosted a first meeting between supply and demand for certified timber at the local level," explains Sebastiano Cerullo, General Manager of Conlegno. "The participating businesses showed strong interest in the topic, and above all in the possibility of a guaranteed and continuous local supply. Today, around 80% of the timber used by Italian companies comes from abroad. Besides generating additional economic and environmental costs, this is a major issue that needs to be addressed through greater collaboration among stakeholders with shared interests."

Event page: https://locale-e-certificato.eventbrite.it/