This month's Swatch spotlights self-administrating wood that is produced by forests that are augmented to sustain themselves, physically and financially. 🌳

At Seymourpowell, we see this becoming the future of sustainable material supply chains – when managed in conjunction with healthy ecosystems.
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Various start-ups such as @treeviaforest and Overstory work towards such a scenario, whereby forests connect to smart sensors, remote sensing, AI-driven automation and blockchain to create an Internet of trees that extends the ecosystem into the digital space.

Similar to 'precision agriculture,' this allows for 'precision forestry’, where AI can be specifically applied to the holistic planning of logging and planting. As such, forest inventories can be kept transparently and autonomously in order to inform forestry decisions that must balance economic, cultural and conservation values on a country-scale.

While certifications like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) are essential today, we are always on the look out for new standards and practices that may also play a role in securing a sustainable material future.