Barker & Stonehouse are pleased to be involved with Trees 4 Trees™.
The independently audited organisation was set up with help from James Barker and has already planted over 100,000 tree saplings as part of an ongoing programme of reforestation.
The scheme will help local communities with employment and education, teaching them how to plant and harvest timber responsibly and offers a credible ethical badge for its furniture.

Trees 4 Trees is also developing a system whereby end consumers will be able to identify and monitor the progress of the tree that was planted as a result of their purchase using a unique tree-specific reference number, high-tech GPS technology and internet satellite monitoring systems - ensuring complete transparency throughout the process.

About Trees4Trees

The foundation distributes free seedlings of high value species including teak, mahogany, mango and other furniture grades to local farmers and resident land owners in Indonesia. The program provides technical guidance on planting and best forestry practices in addition to long term monitoring to help the tree recipients maximize value.

The foundation also sponsors outreach educational programs in local communities and schools to raise awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of growing healthy trees. By increasing the area of community planted and owned forests, the negative effects of deforestation are reduced and the environment is renewed.

The program is designed to benefit stakeholders in the supply chain end to end:

• The environment gains by the increase of well managed forest cover on private lands.
• Local communities benefit through the planting of commercial species providing long term support to their livelihood.
• Manufacturers benefit by having a verifiable and efficient program by which to invest in the environment and the communities they operate in and recognition that they are operating in responsible way.
• Retailers benefit by gaining credible point of sale materials to help educate their sales staff and enable their customers to make informed buying decisions.
• Consumers benefit by the availability of products that are contributing to a better environment and helping local communities thus creating piece of mind in their purchasing decisions.

The foundation's goal is to provide a practical but effective program for responsible manufacturers and retailers to help the communities and environment where they source their products. Participation is open to retailers upon acceptance of Trees4Trees™ code of ethics and participant rules. Manufacturers in Indonesia who are using planted wood in their products may join upon agreement to follow the foundation’s guidelines on procedures, ethics and wood sourcing. The activities of the foundation are supported through contributions made by manufacturing and retail participants to fund the replacement of the trees used in the manufacture of their products.

For more information visit www.trees4trees.org

above: Trees4Trees staff & participants (growers, suppliers, distributors & retailers)