by Nick Cooke
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Well, if it’s a Nicaraguan woodchuck, it would be quite a bit given this country’s relative abundance of tropical forests and all the varieties of trees in them. This is still so, despite rampant deforestation over the last half century.
But forget about just chucking wood: do something with it. And that is exactly what the people at Simplemente Madera (Simply Wood) are about. Setting an example for taking advantage of the potential offered by Nicaragua’s forests, they combine it with a business attitude that is respectful of the environment and the local communities that live in them.
Furniture manufacture and processing lumber for building materials is an obvious way to go in this country. In recent years, fresh investments are being made in an industry that is a natural.
Between the Waves talked with Matthew Falkiner, a principal partner in the company called Simplemente Madera. This company is setting an example for others in terms of creating synergies and in using Nicaragua’s renewable resource of wood wealth in a sustainable way.