Today, the most credible solution to fight efficiently against deforestation lies in the development of tree plantation, also called “sustainable forest management” which enables to meet an increasing demand while restricting the use of natural forests.

It is a cultivation process resorting to the best management methods, from the planting to felling. On the same model of forest in the Landes region (south-west France ), the Thai plantations are managed and harvested by qualified engineers who optimize the yield of the commercial forests. The new methods of management take into account the necessity to let these forests grow in the same conditions as natural forests. Henceforth, other species are allowed to develop so that a biodiversity may be maintained that is vital for the good health of the trees. Moreover, animal life is visible there, a proof that the usual natural cycles are respected.

The plantations help produce wood in large quantities without resorting to the use of natural forests. The ecosystems may henceforth grow anew without risk.
They limit the damages due to felling thanks to the strictness of the cutting and regenerating process.

Ultimately, plantations provide legal jobs to the local populations who benefit also from wood resources used as construction material.

Teck Ethik has made the decision to rely on plantation forests located in Thailand , home of the Tectona Grandis . Thailand has developed its first plantations in the sixties and exploits today a network of more than 40 harvested forests. Crop rotations have been fixed to 30 years in the view of a better wood return on investment ratio. Felling trees for thinning the forests are carried out after 15 and 20 years in order to let the trees grow better. After the final cut, natural re-growths appear on the sides of the stumps that have been left planted. This is where the experts come in and start selecting the ones that will generate the most vigorous trees.