SAO PAULO LEGAL TIMBER PROGRAM TAKES OFF

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000102 SENSITIVE SIPDIS OES /PCI FOR LSPERLING OES/ENRC FOR CKARR-COLQUE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ECON ETRD KCRM KJUS BR SUBJECT: SAO PAULO LEGAL TIMBER PROGRAM TAKES OFF REF: SAO PAULO 32 1.(SBU) SUMMARY: To combat the use of illegal timber in civil and private construction the State of Sao Paulo--the largest consumer of wood products in Brazil--has implemented a lumber certification pilot program known as "Cadmadeira." The program, which works closely with NGO partners to help train enforcement officials, uses the incentive of massive civil construction projects to recruit lumber suppliers and drive demand for sustainable timber in Sao Paulo. As a pilot program, Cadmadeira has the potential to significantly reduce illicit lumber consumption by forming public-private partnerships. Nevertheless, redundant coordination systems, fraud, corruption and a lack of trained staff remain as challenges. As the program gains momentum, other states are approaching the Sao Paulo government to establish similar programs in their own jurisdictions. END SUMMARY. Background -------------- ¶2. (U) Sao Paulo state consumes one-third of all Brazilian domestic lumber production and, according to Greenpeace statistics, more than 60 percent of Brazilian lumber is of illegal origin. To stem the flow of illegal lumber in Sao Paulo, the State Secretary of the Environment created the Cadmadeira program to regulate lumber in the civil construction industry-the single largest consumer of lumber in the state. The Cadmadeira program requires all companies seeking civil tenders to certify the origin, storage and use of legal lumber via the federal Document of Forest Origin (DOF) established in 2006 to trace the source of lumber products entering the state and differentiate legal from illegal product. Adriana Imparato of the NGO Amigos da Amazonia highlighted the program's certification requirement as a major step in reducing use of illegal lumber since Sao Paulo state government has traditionally outsourced entire construction projects to private companies, not accustomed to stringent regulation of construction materials. Imparato credits the program's initial success to private sector buy-in. Companies can support sustainable projects without additional cost and regulation: they allow the state government to ascertain the sustainability of material. NGO Collaboration -------------- ¶3. (U) Key to the success of implementing the certification standards has been the collaboration between the State Secretary of Environment and NGOS such as the Amigos da Amazonia network to educate regulators and industry about Cadmadeira requirements. Likewise, international groups such as WWF and Green Peace are partnering with the Sao Paulo Environmental Police (reftel) and the Instituto Florestal to monitor and enforce the program in the field. Imparato told Econoff that "educating all involved about the laws, starting from the lumber source" is essential to the program's effectiveness. There is great potential for the Instituto Florestal to be a repository of all wood samples from the Amazon, while providing analysis for both public and private sector needs. Economic Implications -------------- ¶4. (U) While Cadmadeira is achieving success in the public construction sector, there are no current federal laws in Brazil that oblige the private end consumers to buy legal, sustainable lumber. Therefore the program has had to rely on regulating the use of lumber in public construction as a means of combating illegal lumber traffic. Carlos Beduschi of the State Secretary of Environment admitted that regulating the sheer volume of lumber consumed or transported through Sao Paulo State was "overwhelming" given limited enforcement resources. As a result, he said the initial goal was to target the material at the warehouses and lumberyards that seek to supply the extensive public construction sector. Registration of all stock in the warehouses is voluntary, with the economic incentive for the lumberyards of becoming a preferred supplier for civil construction or furniture projects in the state of Sao Paulo. Beduschi noted that the government is a constant and reliable purchaser of lumber, much sought after by suppliers, thus creating a powerful incentive to register in Cadmaderia. Challenges Persist -------------- ¶5. (U) Although successful in reducing illicit lumber consumption in Sao Paulo, the Cadmadeira program faces continuing challenges. For example, separate electronic systems within Brazil aiming to control the regulation of legal timber complicate the tracking of lumber between states. In Sao Paulo, the DOF, emitted by the federal environment ministry, IBAMA, is required to transport wood products. However, other states, such as Mato Grosso, emit their own documents to electronically regulate the flow of forest materials. Imparato criticized this duplication and told Econoff that a mechanism must be established to read the DOF via all state systems in order to effectively track lumber nationwide. ¶6. (U) The Cadmadeira system is also subject to fraud, particularly in source areas. Imparato cited document falsification, omission of information and corruption as a few examples. In certain source areas there is simply a lack of funding and awareness. Imparato noted that there are only eight officials that regulate environmental control for the entire state of Rondonia, a major supplier for Sao Paulo State. Sandra Florsheim of the Instituto Florestal expressed similar concern about corruption in the northern Amazonian state of Para, which she alleged is pervasive. She attributed, fear, bribery and the sheer power of the main logging companies in that state as the source. Florsheim expressed skepticism that awareness, training and education on consumption can be effective if there is not greater enforcement at the source. Comment: Cadmadeira as a Model -------------- ¶7. (SBU) While still in its infancy, the Cadmadeira program has had a positive impact in reducing illicit lumber traffic by demonstrating a commitment to sustainable development and creating a market incentive for legal timber. In 2007, 2000 companies were operating with the DOF system. The number has since grown to 6000 in 2009. A pilot program incorporating over 400 municipalities in the state of Sao Paulo will soon transfer monitoring activities from the state level to these selected cities. The program has also gained recognition throughout Brazil and other states. Minas Gerais, Bahia and Acre have expressed the desire to work in conjunction with Cadmadeira. To replicate Sao Paulo's program nationally, however, adoption of a single electronic regulatory mechanism is necessary. Parallel systems presently hamper the interstate communication required to track illegal logging back to its source. Meanwhile, replicating the Cadmadeira in major source states of the Amazon region with the support and enforcement of the federal government, would increase the effectiveness of programs in major consumption states such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Beyond Brazil, the Cadmadeira program with its positive market incentive for suppliers and collaborative roots with environmental NGOs, offers a potential model for other national or sub-national authorities around the world seeking to reduce illegal logging. White