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California Orders Residents To Stay Home

Today, California State Public Health Officer & Director of the California Department of Health ordered all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence, except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors.
This goes into effect on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The order is in place until further notice.
Essential services will remain open such as:
  1. Gas stations
  2. Pharmacies
  3. Food: Grocery stores, farmer’s markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out, delivery restaurants
  4. Banks, laundromats/laundry services
Essential state and local government functions will also remain open, including law enforcement and offices that provide government programs and services.
Establishments that are closed include:
  1. Dine-in restaurants
  2. Bars and nightclubs
  3. Entertainment venues
  4. Gyms and fitness studios
  5. Public events and gatherings
  6. Convention Centers
This is in effect throughout the State of California.
The full order can be read here.

Supply Chain Management: It’s not always about the species

Buying, trading, and selling wood is a global industry. From plantation grown species like Southern yellow pine (Pinus spp.) to species grown in South America like jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril) forest management is the key to sustainability. Understanding the supply chains that are associated with the products that are made from the forests is important. Recently, this has been highlighted by reports published by a Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) on a species known as taun (Pometia pinnata). The report indicates that the supply chain for the species may not be as simple as once thought. In a report published by Global Witness, issues associated not with the species itself, but with how rights for harvesting the material are handled by certain governments is explored.

Before proceeding with new suppliers, new species or evaluating existing suppliers, it is important to examine the supply chain. This includes evaluations of who owns the forest, who has the right to harvest material, how the material is sold, and even how the material is processed, at a minimum.
For more information visit benchmark-intl.com/contact/