In 2006, Maisons du Monde put out its first furniture catalogue, featuring hand-crafted objects and furniture from all over the world. The furniture is made primarily from tropical wood:

• Teak, Shorea and Bamboo harvested on Java in Indonesia
• Indian rosewood, Mango wood and Acacia harvested in India

As well as from temperate wood such as Pine, Oak, Elm and Birch harvested in New Zealand, USA, Canada and China As a retailer of exotic wood furniture, we are extremely concerned with the problem of deforestation.

With between 10 and 13 million hectares of old-growth forest disappearing each year, the impact on the environment, the local populations and the economies of the countries in question is enormous. There is also the issue of illegal wood supplies, which today represent one-quarter of wood imports in Europe. Maisons du Monde, as a responsible and committed company, wants to help change this situation.

Given the limited availability of certified tropical wood on the market, we must work with the local population to seek solutions to achieve sustainable management of natural resources. As a furniture retailer whose concept is based on promoting craftsmanship, it is our responsibility to assist our suppliers in ensuring the traceability of their wood and gaining certification. We must work together to give them the keys to social development compatible with preserving natural resources.

Xavier Marie, CEO and Founder

In the field, hand in hand with our suppliers

• In Indonesia
  
  Tropical wood: Teak, Shorea and Bamboo harvested on Java in Indonesia Since 2006, Maisons du Monde has been engaged in a dialog with our suppliers to educate and assist them in obtaining forest certification. In 2009, we demanded and achieved the total elimination of any wood supplies that were not clearly identified. By the first half of 2010, we are requiring the elimination of any wood and derivative supplies that do not come from certified forests or forests engaged in the certification process. As of late 2009, the cooperative association of our suppliers in Indonesia, “Hara Group” had four VLO and COC certified plants out of nine. We have given them a deadline of June 2010 to get the other five plants certified. To ensure compliance, the Hara-Group has hired an independent auditor to periodically verify our supply chains.

• In India
  
  Tropical wood: Indian rosewood, Mango wood and Acacia harvested in India Indian rosewood is the wood traditionally used in Indian craftsmanship. The government recently became aware of the commercial interest of Indian rosewood, but has not yet implemented a true sustainable management program. To date, there are no certified plantations of Indian rosewood. Maisons du Monde wants to help drive the movement toward sustainable management of forest resources in India. We are starting with Indian rosewood, and will eventually include Mango wood and Acacia in the initiative. We joined the Tropical Forest Trust in February 2010 to secure the traceability of our supply chains. The first phases will be conducted in the second half of March. We will keep you updated as the project progresses.
  
  
  
  
• In China
  
  Types of wood: Pine, Oak, Elm and Birch harvested in New Zealand, USA, Canada and China Furniture made in China is crafted from temperate woods, most of which are already certified according to international standards. In order to be able to certify our products, we assist our suppliers in getting their plants certified. Our goal is to propose our Key West and Atelier lines, as well as the Louis armchairs, as certified furniture by the end of 2010.

Our Partner TFT



We are a member of the Tropical Forest Trust (TFT), an organization that will help us in monitoring the traceability chains of our Indian suppliers to guarantee the origin of the wood and lead them toward FSC certification.



To find out more visit the Tropical Forest Trust website