BOISmag 234

Finally!

After years of waiting, hesitation, discussions, and negotiations, the forest-wood sector—often criticized for its fragmentation and lack of unity—has finally succeeded in speaking with one voice. Officialized on February 26, this “union” has taken shape through the creation of the “French Forest-Wood Sector Committee.” A single, lasting, and unifying body that now encompasses the entire range of forest and wood professions, from forestry and cultivation to processing, and through to the construction, furniture, and paper markets.* All with a shared objective: “to address issues of common interest, carry out structuring initiatives, and present collective positions on strategic, economic, climate, and industrial challenges.”
At a time when the world feels increasingly divided, where individualism often takes precedence over collective effort and personal ambitions can outweigh the common good, this “union” demonstrates that dialogue and compromise make it possible to move forward together. By coming together, the sector’s organizations are setting an example and preparing to make the voice of wood heard more widely. “The challenge is no longer simply to engage in dialogue, but to make decisions together. The credibility of this union will be measured […] by its ability to produce clear positions and to uphold them over time…” A message of hope and unity that, one can only hope, will endure—because after so many years spent finding one another, a separation is no longer conceivable !

*The committee will bring together founding members representing the different links across three sectors:
– forestry and forest production: Communes forestières France, Fransylva, ONF, UCFF;
– logging and wood processing: FNB;
– construction, furniture, and paper: l’Ameublement français, Copacel, UICCB.

Adèle Cazier