Furch Guitars has forged a partnership with the Panamanian indigenous community Arimae, dedicated to protecting local tropical forests and cultivation of exotic woods. Under the partnership, Furch will provide the community with financial assistance to care for six hectares of exotic woods, the annual growth of which corresponds to the guitar maker’s yearly production needs.
“Even though wood is the most easily renewable raw material in the world, we must treat it with respect and preserve it for future generations. By forging a new partnership with the Arimae community, we want to compensate nature as well as society for the amount of wood we consume. Apart from cocobolo and mahogany, we plan to extend our support to other wood species in the future,” said Furch Guitars CEO Petr Furch.
Every year, Furch makes approximately 8,000 guitars, which on average requires 43 cubic meters of exotic woods. Exotic woods account for two thirds of all materials used in the manufacture of acoustic guitars. For illustration, the making of one acoustic guitar requires 0.00734 cubic meters of materials, including waste, of which exotic woods account for 0.00537 cubic meters.
The new partnership is a part of Furch Guitars’ broader concept for environmental protection. All woods used in the manufacture of Furch guitars come from duly verified suppliers. In addition, a number of models are made from materials that provide a full-fledged alternative to exotic woods.