Marigaux, the world-renowned French oboe manufacturers, are launching a range of socially and environmentally responsible oboes at a series concerts at Kings Place, London, on the 3rd and 4th October 2012.
Nicholas Daniel, the celebrated British oboist, will be the first musician to play one of the instruments, which are made using FSC® 100% African blackwood, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®, and sourced on fair trade terms from community-managed forests in Tanzania.
Renaud Patalowski, Marigaux President, said: “We are happy and proud to announce that Marigaux is the first oboe maker to receive the FSC 100% label, awarded in July 2012.
“This is a true recognition of the long-time quest which drove Marigaux to find and deliver the best wood available for its instruments, quality-wise and ethically.
“The goal now for Marigaux will be to deliver in the medium-term future all of its production with FSC 100% wood.”
For Nicholas Daniel, who has recently been awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music, the instrument launch marks the culmination of three years work as an ambassador for Sound and Fair, an initiative that aimed at encouraged musical instrument manufacturers to implement responsible wood sourcing policies based on FSC 100% principles.
Nicholas said: “This is the fruition of years of work from the parties involved, most notably Sound and Fair, and a generous leap of faith from Marigaux, the first oboe maker ever to follow this process with the stringent FSC requirements.
“This means so much to me, but it’s also making life changing differences to people on another continent living very different lives in Tanzania. “
FSC 100% African blackwood is sourced on fair trade terms from community-managed forests in Tanzania, where forest-dependent people have seen their income increase from US$1 to US$100 per m3 of wood sold.
Revenue from wood sales has financed community development initiatives such as clean water, improved health care facilities and micro-finance schemes to enable income diversification.