Representatives from leading UK furniture retailer Barker & Stonehouse and the wholesale distributor BakerBedford visited the Trees4Trees program in Central Java to learn more about the program and spend time with some of the program's participating growers.

Empowering local individuals and communities to sustainably manage their planted forests and obtain benefit from the commercial use of these resources is a primary goal of the Trees4Trees™ program.

In Trees4Trees™ plantings a diverse range of timber species are encouraged so that benefits can be maximized for program participants and the environment.

Through planting tree species that mature at different ages we can assist growers to derive income from the harvesting of different tree species at different intervals through the life of the plantings. Integration of fruiting tree species provide additional benefits and potential income or sustenance sources.

"We can really see the value of BakerBedford's contribution to the program and we are very pleased to continue our support.

The program is hands on and it is making a real difference to the lives of local people and to the environment where we source our products.

The progress of the program since our visit 12 months ago is truly amazing. From what we saw on our visit the quality of resources and training that the program staff are delivering to local farmers is of an extremely high standard and should be commended " stated Mark Bedford, Managing Director – BakerBedford.

Since inception, the program has provided seedlings and extension support to more than 9,000 farmers and their families across Central Java.

Trees4Trees program staff work with the farmers to establish what tree species will grow best on their land and suit the farmers management objectives and short, medium and long term plans.

Advice is provided on how best to manage the chosen tree species so that the farmers can maximise their commercial returns through active management of the plantings for the sale of timber to local markets.

Tree management may include form pruning, thinning and spacing and lift pruning to produce higher quality timber which is in demand for furniture and other specialist applications.

Ian Pike, Sourcing Manager, BakerBedford outlined "the complexity of the tree plantings on an individual farmers plot is something to behold. Through the Trees4Trees program farmers are able to select from a range of timber species that will mature at different times.

This allows the farmer to plant up their land with multiple species which will yield income at different harvest times. The Trees4Trees is doing a great job through it's work with the farmers".

Trees4Trees™ is providing tree seedlings of species that have high commercial timber demand to program participants. Species include Teak, Mahogany, Mango, Albizia, Sonokeling, Suren and Mindi.

"It is rewarding to know that the contributions that we are making to the program are positively impacting in the lives of those often less fortunate than ourselves at the retail and consumer end of the supply chain.

We met with local Javanese farmers whom have been gifted trees through the Trees4Trees program.

The farmers have worked with the Trees4Trees field staff to determine what species of trees they should plant to met their needs and long-term management objectives" detailed James Barker CEO Barker & Stonehouse.

The plantings we viewed are now one year old, the plants are growing well with many in excess of 2m in height. The farmers were very proud of their trees and positive about managing their plantings so that they can optimise their return from their tree assets".