IMR, from Latin America Innovating International Markets

In less than a decade, the Forest Stewarship Council (FSC) certification lets to Industria de Muebles Roda (IMR), of Santa Cruz, Bolivia grows an average over 30 per cent per year opening an international market in USA, UK, Europe and Mexico to certified products. IMR expects to reach over US$ 12 million in sales of FSC certified products by Spring 2003. The retail value of these products totals over US$25 million dollars.

Since 1996, IMR has been a regional catalyst and early innovator in FSC certified forestry in Latin America. The company currently manages 400,000 has of natural tropical forest under FSC certification, and another 400,000 targeted to become certified before end of 2003.

"Without FSC we would not have a business today", states IMR Marketing Director Robert Simeone.

The diversification of species has been a key in this process. Before 1995, 80% of Bolivia's wood product exports depended on only one specie, Mahogany. Today, market demand for FSC products opened the door for many of Bolivia's most abundant albeit lesser-known wood species. This has been a key element to IMR's success since sustainable forest management (SFM) is based on giving primary importance to a forest's most abundant species and not just its commercially recognized species.

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