Replies

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jan 25, 2009 08:13pm | #1

   Brazil has severe restriction on the export of mahogany, and the US cooperates with that.  However, mahogany grows other places.   It grows in Central America (hence the name Honduras Mahogany), and in South American countries other than Brazil.  

1. 
   Biscardi | Jan 25, 2009 11:01pm | #2

   thanks

2. 
   Woodman41 | Jan 26, 2009 01:42am | #3

   A sizable amount of the mahogany grown "in other places" is actually coming from Brazil through intermediary countries. The major causes of deforestation in Brazil are clearing for cattle ranching (biggest importer of meat from Brazil is Europe), illegal logging and expansion of biofuel crops. Ibama, the environmental agency in Brazil, has been aggressive in combating illegal logging but it's so widespread and large scale in a country that is itself massive that I don't think they will ever get a handle on it. A few years ago 17 people were arrested for clear cutting 25,000 acres of forest and that's just one example where the perpetrators were caught.

1. 
   Biscardi | Jan 26, 2009 02:35am | #4

   I read somewhere that the majority of the mahoghany cut every year is (gulp) burnt to make charcoal. Should I feel guilty if I turn 100 board feet into good quality pieces?

   Frank

1. 
   Woodman41 | Jan 26, 2009 09:02am | #5

   It's easy to forget that people need wood for fuel in many parts of the world. I've seen pictures of charcoal "factories" in Africa, it's really amazing to see how much wood is converted into charcoal.

2. 
   Henning | Feb 18, 2009 12:46am | #8

   You should feel bad whenever using mahogany (excluding reclaimed):

   Brazilian: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/32293

   and search the redlist for mahogany:  http://www.iucnredlist.org/

   ...and even if a species is not endangered - we all know that the rainforests that host these species are endangered.

   Stick to domestic woods is my choice!

   Edited 2/17/2009 4:56 pm ET by Henning

   Edited 2/17/2009 4:57 pm ET by Henning

   Edited 2/17/2009 5:00 pm ET by Henning

1. 
   Biscardi | Feb 18, 2009 05:03am | #9

   no

2. 
   Woodman41 | Feb 18, 2009 06:26am | #10

   I agree, there's no reason why rainforest hardwoods cannot be harvested in a sustainable manner.

3. 
   Henning | Feb 18, 2009 02:19pm | #11

   The point is that it is not harvested in such a manner anywhere I know of today.

   http://www.regnskog.no/html/180.htm

    

3. 
   acornw | Jan 26, 2009 11:45pm | #6

   I am a user of Genuine Mahogany, and my primary supplier has told me that International pressure on Brazil to stop illegal logging has caused them to react by stopping all exports. This happened 2-1/2 years ago. It is true that some is still sold to neighboring countries (chiefly Peru and Columbia), and then exported to the world market. Much of the illegal logging was spotted by photo satellites, where logging occurred upriver from legal concessions. Murder and theft is not at all uncommon - makes the US 'Old West' look pretty tame. Cash rules.It is correct that the major cause of deforestation in Brazil is clearing for crops. The Chinese are now the biggest foreign investor in agribusiness in Brazil, and have soybean farms in the tens of thousands of acres. Unfortunately, when what appears to be the fertile soil of the rainforest is cleared, it supports crops for only a few years. All the nutrients that grow the rainforest are in the biosystem - the plants. So when they are removed (burned), the nutrients are also gone. As these farms start to fail, after other nations have become dependent upon those products, it will then be imperative to burn down more of the rainforest to continue the process. Sort of like a Manifest Destiny gone wild. Pretty grim.Dave S
   http://www.acornwoodworks.com

1. 
   TaunTonMacoute | Jan 27, 2009 12:16am | #7

   http://www.westpennhardwoods.com/shop/cart.php?target=category&category_id=663