Our Process
Reforestation
Learn more about our unique process which reforests deforested cattle lands and turns renewable wood into heirloom quality furniture. Our furniture is a solution to climate change by capturing carbon and sinking it into a lifetime product.
Renewable resources are natural resources that can be naturally replenished.
Renewable resources are natural resources that can be harvested, used, and naturally replenished and sustained. Wood is a renewable resource that can be cultivated and sustained without harming the forest. Most wood can be cultivated and harvested several times in a human lifespan.
Unfortunately, when humans remove or harvest a resource, often the resource is not replaced or sustained. While sustainability seems like common sense, many companies do not replace resources taken to build products; particularly when cost and profit are the primary motivations. Earth’s forests have been victims to clear cutting and other abusive forestry practices, often from livestock or agricultural ventures that ruin the land. We are reversing the effects of that abuse by annual reforestation.
At Masaya & Co, we replace resources taken by others and are committed to sustaining the resources we use to make our products. In addition to design and artisanal craft, we are dedicated to the forest and to principles of sustainability. The forest is our passion and reforestation is part of our business model.
All land has a natural use.
All land has a natural use. Some land is naturally forest and other land may be naturally savannah or prairie. Abuse happens when the natural use is artificially altered to force an unnatural use. This often happens in the livestock industry when massive boundaries of forest are clear-cut to provide pasture for cattle. Usually, because the land is not suitable for pasture, the pasture use fails in the short term and more forest is clear-cut, creating a domino effect. Our business model includes the reforestation of these degraded lands and restoration of the forest, which is the natural use. Our harvesting methods are selective and sustainable. We are continuously replanting to sustain the forest, because the forest is our passion.
Climate change, global warming, water pollution, loss of wildlife and habitat are all obvious effects of deforestation and vital reasons to practice reforestation. Trees naturally sequester carbon from the atmosphere and in doing so cool the planet. As humans cut down more trees and burn more carbon producing fossil fuels, more carbon exists in our atmosphere and our planet gets warmer. By now, this much should be obvious. Reforestation is very good for Earth’s environment.
A positive economic impact.
A forest has sustainable economic value.
An often-overlooked aspect of reforestation is the positive economic impact a sustainably managed forest has on local communities. In many poor regions of the world, like Nicaragua, it is vital for locals to gather some economic benefit from their land. Out of economic necessity, people will often accept a minimal payment and allow their land to be clear-cut for uses like cattle farming. We offer an alternative use and business opportunity that is consistent with the natural use, beneficial to the environment, and a better economic model.
Masaya & Co is committed to the reforestation of deforested land with tropical hardwood species. Every time we convert a cow pasture to a plantation or forest we sequester carbon, improve water quality, restore the soil, reduce erosion, restore the habitat for native species, and create new jobs. Reforesting these damaged lands, not only restores the land to its natural use, it also provides economic opportunities for the surrounding communities. Sustainably managed forests and tree farms create jobs in forestry as planting and maintaining the forest is continuous. A sustainably managed forest is forever. Earth’s forests are very important to the balance of nature and to the people who live and work in them. We are rebuilding the forest.