Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest, Italy
The Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest, founded in 2012, is located in Italy’s Tuscany region in the eastern part of the Province of Florence. The region is known for its rolling hills covered in cypress trees and the production of wine and olives. The founding members were united by a common desire to build sustainability-based partnerships in the region – sustainability in the environmental, social and economic sense. Antonio Vente (Technical Area Union of municipalities Valdarno and Valdisieve) explains, “In our region, sustainability is derived by making management decisions in a participatory and shared approach.”
With 70% forest coverage in the area, the extraction of timber plays a big role in its communities and the economy.
A recent survey of the local forest industry found that most of the stakeholders involved in the local wood market were interested in a collective marketing strategy for their wood products.
As such, a specific logo was developed to identify timber and the derived products from the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest territory. The logo can be used by all the companies in the local forestry sector and serves to both validate the quality of the products in that region and confirm that they are dedicated to certain measures of sustainability.
The participating companies have committed a percentage of their sales of wood products to the creation of a shared marketing website.
The website serves to coordinate, integrate and connect the various segments of the production chain, from the forest to the final consumer. Each product is assigned a specific identification code. The consumer can enter that code into the website’s verification button and learn exactly where the wood was derived from! The website allows producers in the Model Forest area to reach a larger audience base.
In addition to the website, ShowWoodwas created to exhibit and promote the forest products created within the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest. It’s a first of its kind in Italy! Sustainability was a key factor in the creation of the space, made entirely of Douglas Fir panels from the Model Forest region. It is easy to transport and can be positioned and assembled to create different spaces according to the needs at each location.
Since becoming a Model Forest, Italy’s Montagne Fiorentine has reorganized the local forestry sector identifying shared needs of its stakeholders and created a commercial relationship between its operators.
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