What is Pernambuco?
Around 1775, French bow maker François-Xavier Tourte –inventor of the modern bow– recommended the use of Pernambuco wood for bow making on account of its very specific physical properties, in particular its hardness and density. For over two hundred years, all quality bows have been manufactured using this species of wood.
Pernambuco (Caesalpinia echinata) grows exclusively in Brazil, in the country’s Northeast Region. Unfortunately, as a result of agricultural deforestation, the species has been dwindling for many years and is now becoming scarce. In order to address this situation, bow-making professionals founded the IPCI (International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative).
Since 2007, Pernambuco has been registered in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which has led to strict regulatory measures. A certificate is required from exporters and importers to guarantee that the wood comes from a plantation that respects the principles of sustainable harvesting.
This more restrictive classification would have severe consequences on bow-making and preserving the know-how of craft bow makers on a global scale
Will 2022 spell the end of bows made from Pernambuco?
At the 19th Conference of Parties to CITES (CoP19) to be held from 14 to 28 November 2022, Brazil wants to obtain the transfer of Pernambuco from Appendix II to Appendix I. This more restrictive classification would have severe consequences on bow-making and preserving the know-how of craft bow makers on a global scale.
If this proposal is accepted by CoP19, any transaction relating to a bow in Pernambuco will need a CITES licence. In addition, if national CITES authorities consider that existing stocks do not fulfil the new criteria, the production and sale of new bows will become impossible.
In the eventuality of these stocks remaining authorized, renewing them will be prohibited, including from trees replanted at the initiative of bow makers themselves. As a comparison, let us not forget that after ivory and tortoiseshell had been classified in Appendix I of CITES, ivory and tortoiseshell workers were forced to cease their activity.
For musicians, if Pernambuco were to be classified in Appendix I, this would make it mandatory to obtain a Musical Instrument Certificate (MIC) before travelling abroad, with such certificate needing to be endorsed subsequently by the customs authorities each time a border is crossed. In addition to administrative red tape, this would also lead to risks of delay or items being blocked at borders.
For all that, the effect of these measures on the conservation of the species is very unclear. In reality, Pernambuco is suffering primarily from deforestation and illegal trade in Brazil. In comparison, harvesting for the needs of craft bow makers is negligible. It is estimated that the annual consumption in raw timber for the hundred or so French craft bow makers is a mere one cubic meter. Action is consequently needed at the level of Brazil itself.
Envisaging solutions
Actions funded by IPCI at the initiative of bow makers have made it possible to replant some 300,000 Pernambuco seedlings, mainly dedicated to preserving the species. Using Pernambuco to manufacture bows consequently contributes to its conservation since this high added-value consumption is based on safeguarding the species.
As a result, we recommend that CITES Member States reject Pernambuco being classified in Appendix I and, in collaboration with Brazil, come up with an efficient strategy to control legal channels and bring an end to trafficking. We are convinced that enhanced appreciation and control of the resource are the only solutions which will guarantee sustainability.
Moreover, we would urge the whole of the music business to join in funding the conservation of this extraordinary species of wood that is essential for all bowed instruments.
What role do musicians’ unions have to play?
We would urge all musicians’ unions to undertake advocacy with their respective governments, in collaboration with national bow-maker organisations. A guidance document is available here to help you draft your arguments.