US Softwood Export Council Receives New FAS Funding to Expand Markets, Complete Life Cycle Analyses

The Softwood Export Council (SEC) recently announced new funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), which it will use to develop opportunities in Vietnam and India and complete Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for US softwood products.

According to the SEC news release provided to FEA, the association will work with members, including American Wood Council, the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, the Center for International Trade in Forest Products, and Oregon State University to conduct product testing and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for US softwood products. It will also carry out education work.

The LCAs will address increasingly stringent legislation and consumer product selection criteria based on products’ environmental sustainability and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

In comments prepared for the announcement, American Wood Council President Jackson Morrill said:

“This grant will be vital to securing wood products’ market competitiveness and establishing their inclusion in key sustainability standards. As a renewable, low-carbon material, wood products already play a valuable role in the built environment’s sustainability efforts and will continue to do so as the demand for truly climate-friendly materials grows.”