A GUYANA delegation in the United Kingdom (UK) has made a strong case for the lifting of the greenheart import ban which was put in place by UK Environment Agency (EA) in 2015.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the delegation which included Guyana Forestry Commission’s (GFC) Chairman of the Board, Joslyn Dow, EU-FLEGT Secretariat Head, Kenny David, GFC Deputy Commissioner, Andrew Mendez, of McVantahe Inc. among others, made a combined presentation to Andy Powell of the UK EA and Clare Marsden of Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The greenheart restrictions were introduced by the Environmental Agency (EA) in the UK in 2015 and at the time it was claimed that proof of sustainable sourcing of the forest product was inadequate, and this has led to a drastic decrease in export of the product to the UK. In December 2016 the EA relaxed the restrictions on greenheart, but only began to accept Category A FSC 100% Greenheart from Iwokrama.

The ministry said that the recent presentation focused on the many accomplishments of Guyana when it comes to sustainable forest practices, and the key impacts the restrictions have had on the industry and the country as a whole. It also focused on the current code of practice and the maintenance of Guyana’s biodiversity.

It was noted that from the presentation, the Guyana delegation sought clarification from the EA and DEFRA representatives on whether or not the FLEGT certification, which will be given to Guyana in about five-six years, will be accepted for Category B timber since the UK only accepts Category A FSC 100% Greenheart from Iwokrama as of 2016.

The group also challenged the UK EA’s stance on offering support to Guyana in attaining FSC certification since only this is accepted but is costly. Further, they asked what can be done between now and the time FLEGT certification starts to restore trade between the two countries. From the presentation the EA and DEFRA representatives clarified that they did not consider the restrictions a ban; though conceding that standards had acted as a barrier to imports. They also shared that more needs to be done in terms of awareness and thus far, they have met with some of their suppliers to clarify their position on this.

Overall the UK EA , the ministry said that the team was “very impressed” by the presentation and noted that the information was very useful in clarifying the negative perception of timber from Guyana’s forests. Guyana will now have to await feedback from the UK EA on moving forward as they consult superiors and make recommendations. The Guyana delegation is confident that this direct engagement will lead to greater relaxation of the restrictions and lead to increased access to the United Kingdom market for producers and exporters of greenheart forest products.