Pioneering eco-labels in Bolivia
CIMAL/IMR – a Santa Cruz, Bolivia based company known for its high-end FSC certified outdoor furniture - launches FSC certified Chiquitano Charcoal in Bolivian stores.
The new product fits in line with CIMAL’s existing lineup of responsibly sourced wood products. Chiquitano Charcoal is named after its source, FSC certified forests located in the province of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Value-added leftovers
The company views the charcoal not just as an opportunity to launch a new, value-added product, but as a testament to their environmental commitment.
This product was created as a way to find a use for wood waste left from tree trunks and non-timber wedges left over from the production phase.
CIMAL invested resources to run studies on the volumes of wood waste produced, conversion factors and yields necessary to sustain the production of this product.
CIMAL’s Juan Pablo Jacobs is proud of the message this product sends to consumers: “it is FSC certified charcoal, made from residual materials and produced with the highest environmental and social standards in place.”
Pioneering the eco-market
CIMAL pioneered FSC certification in Bolivia and is now once again pioneering the consumer market in Bolivia by introducing new uses of eco-labels. Currently Chiquitano charcoal is the only eco-labelled charcoal on the market in Bolivia, and one of the few products available with the FSC or the Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTMmarks in Bolivian stores.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal along with the FSC logo are placed prominently on the front of the charcoal bags to draw consumers’ eyes to the product.
Despite the fact that the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance are not widely recognised by Bolivians, the company felt it could use the packaging as an opportunity to educate consumers and draw attention to the importance of certification.
Raising consumer awareness
Though Bolivia became a leader in tropical forest certification in the early stages of FSC's development, it has recently seen a decline the certified forests from its height of over 1.2 million hectares (3 million acres) in the early part of the decade.
Hopefully the certified area will once again increase as consumers within Bolivia become aware of the choices they make with their wallets.
According to Jacobs the choice is simple: “By buying certified charcoal you are ensuring that your children and their children's children will get to enjoy the forest as we do today.”
Currently Chiquitano Charcoal is being sold in major supermarkets in Santa Cruz with plans for expansion to the rest of Bolivia later in the year. Plans for international export of the charcoal are pending external demand.
