FAQs
How do you source the seeds?
Seeds from native trees are gathered from the forest floor in Brazil.
How do you keep track of the trees planted and needed?
We place advance orders for the replacement of trees based on estimated requirements
for the forthcoming year. We then review progress quarterly to ensure that our
estimated requirement is still appropriate.
Will the Velvet Amata trees be felled?
Yes, a significant proportion will be felled, as part of a sustainable forestry initiative.
Amata needs funds to underpin the land purchase. Once harvesting starts in a few years,
a proportion of its profits will be reinvested into further sustainability projects. Wood
from felled trees will be used in local projects such as to make furniture or
the manufacture of plywood, allowing communities to earn a livelihood.
Trees planted under the Velvet Amata agreement will be replaced. The replacement of
subsequent harvestings is the responsibility of Amata, which operates to FSC standards.
However around 15 million trees, mostly around watercourses, will be permanently protected.
Is this scheme a short term commitment?
Absolutely not. We are in this for the long term and currently have an agreement
in place for another decade.
Does anyone support this project, apart from Velvet and Amata?
The project has been backed by organisations in Brazil such as Universidade Federal
Rural da Amazônia (Federal Rural University of Amazonia) and A Arvorar Soluções
Florestais (The Tree Forest Solutions), a company set up by the Instituto de
Pesquisas Ecológicas (the Institute for Ecological Research).
Are you doing anything else to support the environment?
Yes. In the UK, Velvet and SCA work in partnership with the charity Trees for
Cities that aims to improve people's lives by planting woodlands in an urban setting.
In 2010, we asked people to nominate an area in the UK that they thought deserved to
be transformed with trees. The winning area of Birmingham was transformed with
£20,000 worth of renovation and beautiful green trees in July 2011. The winner
selected for 2012 was Ruskin Park in Lambeth, London, which is being transformed into
a thriving outdoor space and will include a fruit maze, an outdoor classroom, a
wildflower meadow bank and an extended orchard.
We also supported Kew Gardens in the development of a safe play area for up
to 300 children between the ages of 3 and 11. The area features a 20m long zip
wire, two giant swings, scramble nets, slides and a mountaineering ramp for
families to enjoy, whilst also offering educational opportunities for children to
learn about and appreciate trees.