There is a solution to both the problem of African blackwood disappearing and people getting poorer:

1. Provide local people with secure access to their natural resources

2. Help them harvest the African blackwood in a sustainable manner

3. Create a system that enables them to get the best possible price

The mechanism that brings all this together is a fully-certified chain of custody, overseen by theForest Stewardship Council(FSC) that builds on a system of community forest management. Here’s how it works: