Tuning in: Tracking Wood from Honduran Forests to U.S. Guitars

The Forest Legality Alliance series of case studies is intended to show commercial buyers of wood and paper-based products, especially those who trade in species and/or source from places with a perceived risk of illegality, how their supply chains can conform with U.S. legal requirements on importing certain types of wood. They draw lessons from emerging best practices for managing risk in high-risk contexts to identify and highlight potential problem areas, as well as pragmatic opportunities for reducing the complexity of compliance.

This case study examines the supply chain that brings valuable and increasingly rare mahogany wood from community forestry operations in Honduras to high-end guitar manufacturers in the United States. The brief details the major actors and supply chains, gives background on the trees and the Honduran forest context, and describes the roles played by third parties in bringing the wood to market.