European Commission (EU)

GFTN benefits from European Commission (EC) funding in Africa and Asia, where it completed the first year of an EC grant with significant accomplishments. The funding supported a tour led by WWF China and WWF Indonesia for a delegation from one of China’s largest flooring companies, Guangdong Shunde Yingbin Company. Company representatives met with their suppliers in Indonesia to encourage them to work with GFTN to pursue certification.

EC funding also facilitated numerous training workshops with applicant companies in each region where GFTN works. In Ghana, forest managers attended a training hosted by the Ghana FTN on developing action plans to achieve certification. GFTN participation grew from 5 to 32 companies over the past year in the EC-supported countries of China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ghana. An additional 56 applicants are currently in various stages of the application process.