Grandis: Responsible Wood from Argentina
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires 
on 09.19.06
To find certified wood in Argentina is not an easy task. Just imagine that when you look for national companies with the FSC certificate, you only get ten results, while there are at least 30 pages of results for US companies. That’s the reason why we were so pleased to find Grandis, a 30 year old company that sells eucalyptus grandis certified wood from cultivated forests. They have FSC and national certifications for their industrial plant placed in Corrientes province, where they produce floorings, decks, phenolic composites and solid wood. They have preserved the same reserve areas that were established when the plantations started, respecting the native woodlands, wetlands, swamps, and also some scrublands and pastures; which represent –they claim- an important percentage of the real estate owned by the company. They also have a social responsibility program to guaranty a safe and healthy work environment. If you ever disembark in Buenos Aires for a project, take into account their products can be purchased almost everywhere in the country. They also have an export program, but probably not worthy the trip, since it’s always better to buy local. ::Grandis
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I hate to be a cynic (but i am) but I get the impression that feeling good is more important than doing good. My wife is partnered in a fair trade coffee business and I had always told her that business is primarily about money and despite our values here in Canada you cant expect a guy who is hungry to give anyone a fair shake - profit rules fair trade (like certified wood and organic avocadoes) are just a scam. My wife vehemantly denies this possibility. Yesterday I read that a very high percentage of the fair trade farmers in Peru are not paid fairly at all - It's just a marketing ploy and in truth people like to feel good and that is what seems to count - that is what is being sold - feeling good. My wood is certified - see, I am a good person. I suppose there is merit in the idea but I think it is lost in the reality of commerce, it must be monitored very closely to carry any weight in my eyes. Mick-the-cynic.
I agree that it's hard to rely on labels, especially when many times companies get behind them to sell, omitting some data. Like, a lot of companies might say they sell organic cotton when they actually sell a combination between organic cotton and other textures. Recently we had a conversation by e-mail about some towels that were supposed to have “bamboo fiber” but the content was really described as “bamboo-rayon”, which probably meant the bamboo was mixed with other chemicals. There’s always someone whiling to fool people, but there are also people -like your wife?- that has good intentions. I don’t know this company in person, maybe they’re the first or second kind, but I know green practices are not too extended in the country, so I recognize when someone at least cares to get certification. If I f needed to get wood for anything, I would find out more about them instead of just getting wood anywhere that I don’t know where comes from. The key, maybe, is to dig a little before buying.