Supporting and
caring about
local communities

At Global Timber, we have set our ambitions high when it comes to sustainability. It goes far beyond our product itself. We take pride in knowing our entire value chain in depth and the people behind it. That is why we also get involved in what is going on in the communities in which we operate.

THE SISTER DULCE OF POOR PEOPLE ASSOCIATION IN SANTARÉM, BRAZIL

Deep in the Brazilian rainforest lies the city of Santarém on the Amazon River. Here you will find The Sister Dulce of Poor People Association; an association that helps vulnerable young and old, offers them courses to improve their own living conditions as well as welcomes poor refugees who otherwise have nowhere to go. To be able to make it all run around, the association’s employees are volunteers who help these people with a good heart and to have a better community.

At The Sister Dulce of Poor People Association, they help people in need with e.g. food donations and medical assistance; things that are otherwise seen as basic necessities in other parts of the world. It may be people from the local area who need help, but the association has also opened its arms to refugees from neighboring countries who are fleeing poverty and have hopes of a better life.

But the association is taking the step further by offering courses to vulnerable children and mothers so that they can transform these skills into a future livelihood. The courses involve everything from music and capoeira dance to crafts and languages. The Sister Dulce of Poor People Association sure lives up to the phrase give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.

With this sustainable approach to their community, there was no doubt at Global Timber. We take great pride in helping the best we can in areas we are involved in. For us, our suppliers are part of our valuable foundation, and we see them as a vital part of our business. This association represents an initiative we want to support and since we have been sourcing wood in the area for over 25 years, we are already committed to the community.

“Every year we make a donation of € 10,000 to a good cause, and we heard about The Sister Dulce of Poor People Association through our local partner, who told us about their good work. An association like this gives so much to their community, which in turn gives so much to us, so we would like to reciprocate the service. Hopefully, it can also inspire others to follow the same path. ” says Søren Vinther, co-owner of Global Timber.

Therefore, Global Timber decided to donate € 10,000 to The Sister Dulce of Poor People Association due to their noble work for the vulnerable and commitment to the local community for a sustainable future.

OUR OBLIGATION

As Global Timber operates in many different places in the world, we are not afraid to acknowledge our responsibility to the planet. We want to be at the forefront of the fight, and we hold ourselves and our partners to a high standard. To ensure that we meet our requirements for a more sustainable future, we have chosen to set three internal goals for 2025, which we believe can help push development in the right (green) direction:

• 80% of our materials come from certified forests
• Every year we support an initiative that creates improvements in the local communities and areas in which we operate
• To create, maintain, and strengthen communication with stakeholders and employees to ensure the achievement of environmental goals through continuous improvement of our own role in the industry