Plantations International

Illegal Agarwood logging is a massive environmental and economic problem that has plagued governments for decades. One of the principal causes of deforestation of the Agarwood tree in Asia, illegal logging can take a variety of forms, from harvesting the oud oil from protected areas to felling protected tree species to falsifying timber licences. Many international organizations have taken a stand against illegal logging, and consumers are now demanding stricter standards for imported timber. Illegal Agarwood logging can have far-reaching and devastating consequences. The widespread deforestation it causes can inflict huge damage on animal habitats, and can deprive local communities of [...]

The consumer market for Agarwood is well developed in the Middle East and Northeast Asia where Agarwood has been used for over one thousand years. Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok are major traders of Agarwood while Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are major producers. The increasing scarcity of illegal forest Agarwood makes plantation grown Agarwood much sought after to meet global demand. Taiwan has long been a major trader in Agarwood for both medicinal and cultural uses. According to official records, 6,843 tonnes of unprocessed Agarwood was imported to Taiwan in the ten years to 2003. Prices of Agarwood for [...]

The “Wood of the Gods” has at least a 3,000 year history in the Europe, Middle East, India, Japan and China. It was believed that only Kings and the very wealthy were able to benefit from its powers. The tragedy of the agarwood industry is that the whole of the tree has to be felled to obtain the valuable inner layers. Not all trees contain the agarwood in the wild and there are occasions where 10 trees will be cut down to find agarwood in only one. Unsustainable Agarwood harvesting in natural forests has resulted in near extinction in many areas [...]