| The premise of this article is to help facilitate an | | | | from their bounty. The first is using legal wood. |
| understanding of the manufacturing process in | | | | Simply stated, legal wood is felled and traded in |
| using environmentally prudent wood to produce | | | | accordance with the law. The producing country is |
| djembe drums. Purchasing djembe drums that are | | | | obliged to ensure compliance and enforcement of |
| made from legally harvested, sustainable wood | | | | the laws and rules. To be certain that wood is |
| help to protect our world's forests, assist in | | | | legal, its origin must be known and documented |
| preserving and maintaining a well-balanced | | | | through every step in the wood trade process... |
| eco-system and help support local economies. | | | | from the felling of a tree to the sale of the wood |
| Our world is more connected than ever before. | | | | in a shop. |
| Modern technology has made the planet a smaller | | | | Sustainable wood is produced in a responsible way |
| place through cutting edge advances such as | | | | taking into account the environment, the |
| e-mail, broadband, internet, fiber optics, and of | | | | economy and social circumstances. This means, |
| course the iPhone. Along with these advances | | | | for example, not felling more trees than the |
| comes information - lots and lots of information. | | | | forest can afford to lose; planting new trees |
| Just pull up your favorite web browser and type | | | | (reforestation); minimizing the damage caused to |
| in 'Global Warming' and you'll see that Google has | | | | other trees and plants; safeguarding biological |
| indexed roughly 72,400,000 web sites that contain | | | | diversity (i.e. the range of animals, plants and |
| those keywords. Type in 'Legal Wood' and you'll | | | | microorganisms) and taking into account the |
| see an impressive 21,600,000 web sites found. | | | | impact on the soil, water, landscape and |
| And hey, it posted those results in just .07 | | | | ecosystems. |
| seconds. Now, that's fast! However, even with all | | | | We Can All Make A Difference |
| this speed and information, I was hard pressed to | | | | When shopping for a djembe drum it's important |
| find any decent content on the kind of wood | | | | to know the source of the wood so you can |
| used in manufacturing traditionally based djembes. | | | | make a more educated decision. Purchasing |
| Not only that, but I couldn't tell which companies | | | | djembe drums that are made from legally |
| were using legal wood, the benefits of using legal | | | | harvested, sustainable wood help protect our |
| wood, and the concerns with using wood that | | | | world's forests, assist in preserving and |
| wasn't legal. | | | | maintaining a well-balanced eco-system and help |
| We're in the Tree Business | | | | support local economies. Get the facts before |
| The traditional djembe is made from wood. And | | | | buying and ask questions. It's your buying decision |
| many of the djembe drums that are available for | | | | that helps shape the world in which we live. |
| purchase in this country are imported from | | | | How to Find a Djembe of Legally Harvested |
| Indonesia, Thailand, and Africa. In fact most of | | | | Wood |
| the African djembe drums sold in the U.S.A. are | | | | Find a retailer that works only with |
| actually made in Indonesia where, according to | | | | environmentally friendly suppliers that can prove a |
| Indonesian Department of Forestry, the | | | | Government certification process. Ask to see a |
| deforestation rate since 1998 is estimated at 2.8 | | | | copy of the supplier's certificate of approval that |
| million hectares (7 million acres) per year. During | | | | shows the local government has inspected the |
| the last 30 years, the world's tropical rainforests | | | | wood, verified it to be legal wood, and granted |
| have shrunk by 25% around 12.3 million hectares | | | | permission to move the wood from the area |
| of forest. Agriculture and the trade in tropical | | | | where it was cut to a different area for |
| wood are the main causes of deforestation. | | | | manufacturing. In order to get this far in the |
| Unfortunately, many companies (small and large) | | | | certification process, loggers or tree owners |
| in this country still knowingly import wood that is | | | | would need to have a license to cut the trees and |
| neither sustainable nor legal. For instance, in an | | | | the Government has inspected the trees to be |
| article posted by the Chicago Tribune, at a Lowe's | | | | cut and certified that they are legal. |
| annual meeting last May of 2006, a shareholder | | | | If the supplier has this certificate and is also the |
| proposed that the company issue an annual | | | | manufacturer of your djembe, then you can feel |
| report on progress toward its environmental | | | | confident knowing that you are able to trace the |
| pledges. The company's board of directors | | | | wood of your djembe back to the Forestry |
| disagreed and unanimously recommended a vote | | | | department. |
| against the proposal. Why? It's much more | | | | X8 Hand Drums works only with environmentally |
| expensive to secure wood that is legal and | | | | friendly suppliers that can prove a Government |
| sustainable than illegally harvested wood which can | | | | certification process. Our manufacturer in |
| be acquired cheaply. Buying illegal wood helps | | | | Indonesia uses government inspected legally |
| corporations keep their expenses down and | | | | harvested wood and we have a copy of their |
| profits up, however in the meantime they're | | | | certificate from the Indonesian Government. |
| contributing to an unsound environmental policy | | | | Find a huge selection of hand-carved, |
| that is both harmful and destructive. | | | | environmentally friendly djembe drums from a |
| Legally Certified Timber - The Green Way! | | | | hand drum specialty shop that aims to please |
| The good news is that there are many | | | | percussionists with quality instruments, |
| certifications and processes that are in place to | | | | knowledgeable staff and community. |
| properly protect our forests and yet still benefit | | | | |