Sustainable trade initiatives to help tropical forests. Originally established through the United Nations, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) is comprised of more than 50 tropical timber import and export states. In the ITTO’s recent 44th session in Yokohama, Japan, the organization announced funding for a US$3.5 million program to reduce deforestation and land degradation in tropical countries as well as US$5.1 million for projects that preserve tropical forest resources through sustainable use and trade. International Tropical Timber Organization,

we sincerely appreciate your efforts to protect the tropical forests. May our planet continue to be adorned with the vital trees that replenish the atmosphere and provide color to our world.