I recently noted that when the Young Living case settlement was released, the goal was expanded to establishing an unbroken and verified chain of custody of the plant product from the harvest location, through transport and processing, through export and import to the U.S., through subsequent distribution in the U.S., leading to receipt and acceptance by Young Living.
That was a whole new level for the industry. I know some folks have thought Iāve over-stated the responsibility of the dealer, but the government is pushing their definition of āhow deepā both up and down the supply chain. Iāll repeat: āask questions.ā āAsk about actions taken to protect you.ā āDocument the fact you asked and that you factored those answers into your business decisions.ā Ā
I encourage all, be they Dabblers, professional importers or domestic manufacturers, distributors or retailers, to get some training. Learn more about your responsibilities and ways to meet them. Ā
Iāve spent much of the last few months working on a lot of new educational material for the IWPA Due Care training program. (Much of it will roll out soon as both new on-demand webinars and in person training ā Iāll let you know when itās available.) I am going to put a short hold on blogging to help wrap those up, but there will be much available for you soon. I also encourage people to look at a long visit in Florida this April. First come to the IWPA World of Wood Convention April 4-8, in Orlando. Stay the weekend and do a park or go to Cape Canaveral and then head across the state to the NWFA Expo April 12-14 in Tampa. Educational opportunities abound at both events. Ā
And if you want more blogs, post requests here and Iāll do what I can to provide info or ideas or direction for better sources then me. Stay safe, all!
Elizabeth Baldwin is Environmental Compliance Officer for Metropolitan Hardwood Floors. In her 25 plus year career in the wood industry has visited over 70 countries and hundreds of facilities of all sizes and types. She describes herself as a ājack of all wood trades.ā Familiar with jungles of all sortsāhaving camped out along the Amazon and walked the halls of Congressāshe blogs for the NWFA on both environmental and regulatory issues for educational and informational purposes only. Her blog is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. Persons seeking legal advice on compliance with CARB, TSCA, the U.S. Lacey Act or any other law, regulation, or compliance requirement/claim should consult with the regulatory agency directly and/or a qualified legal professional.