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Digital Platform Allows Tracking of Wood from Forest to Market

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The La Araucanía Region witnesses the birth of an innovative digital platform that promises to revolutionize the traceability of timber products in Chile. The National Forestry Corporation (Conaf), in partnership with the Environmental Investigation Agency, has launched a pilot project that will enable precise tracking of each stage of the wood supply chain, from its extraction in native forests to its final sale.

Bernardo Martínez, manager of Forest Enforcement and Environmental Assessment at Conaf, has emphasized the importance of this initiative, which aims not only to protect the country's natural resources but also to improve efficiency in controlling forestry activities. The choice of La Araucanía as the starting point is not coincidental, as this region reflects the distinctive characteristics of southern Chile, an area of great relevance to the timber industry.

The designed platform complies with current regulations, including the Native Forest Law and the Timber Theft Law, among others. Francisco Cisterna, head of the Forest Enforcement Department at Conaf, highlights that the technology will allow users to access information through QR codes on their mobile devices, thereby facilitating the work of inspectors and providing transparency to system users.

David Gehl, representative of the Environmental Investigation Agency, has emphasized the successful results achieved with the application of this tool in other countries, where it has improved access to documentation and relevant data of the supply chain. The demonstration and training phase of the prototype has been conducted in the provinces of Cautín and Malleco, with active participation from regional inspectors and system users.

The final reports and recommendations of the pilot project, which is part of Conaf's +Forests project and funded by the Green Climate Fund, are expected in the coming months. This advancement represents a significant step towards sustainability and responsibility in the management of Chile's forest resources.