Luthiers for the conservation of national forests: producing guitars with legally sourced timber

Over 100 000 guitars are produced every year in Santander, Colombia, representing over 70 percent of the country’s total annual guitar production. The production of musical instruments contributes to both the national economy and the preservation of cultural heritage through music and the art of lutherie. Local luthiers, however, face obstacles in legal operation due to scarce legal timber supplies, limited awareness of regulations in place, and a lack of skills to comply with them.

To address this issue, the FAO-EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Programme partnered with the Network of Musical Instrument Makers of Santander (Red de Fabricantes de Instrumentos Musicales de Santander, Red Faisán), an association representing a significant share of Santander’s guitar producers, to work towards guaranteeing the supply of legal timber for its members by promoting compliance with legal standards, generating new market linkages, and exploring innovative new legal timber sources.

Read the full story here: https://www.fao.org/in-action/eu-fao-flegt-programme/news-events/news-d…