Knowledge of Tropical Hardwood and Information Requirements: Market, Commercialization and Promotion Studies

Abstract

The first imports of tropical timber into Europe were not intended to replace or supplement local production of timber for use by craftsmen and industry — which was still sufficient to cover requirements — but to supply materials with properties of special interest or at any rate with properties different from the timber produced from European forests. It suffices to mention woods used for dyeing and ornamental timber like Ebony from Africa or Mahoganies and other American timber, called ‘timber from the Isles’, which marked an effective change in furniture styles. In the 19th century, insufficient production from the Oak forests for the needs of shipbuilding led to an intensive exploitation of Asian Teak which became the first tropical timber to be used on a large scale exceeding that used for handicraft production.