Mango Wood

Sustainability

Mango is cultivated as a fruit tree, therefore it is very easily sustained. It grows relatively quickly compared to most hardwoods, reaching maturity after about 15 years. At that point, they produce less fruit or stop producing altogether, and the wood itself becomes usable. Mango growers plant new trees every 7 to 15 years before the older trees become infertile. This creates a sustainable planting and harvesting cycle, and only the less fruitful trees are cut down for timber.

The wood sequesters carbon in the air and the furniture made from it acts as a long-term carbon ‘store’. It does a lot to curb greenhouse gases. It has a large growing stock and the by-product of the tree, mango, is readily available, making mango wood extremely sustainable.

The use of mango wood also means that there is less pressure to use more endangered trees such as teak or the East Indian rosewood (also known as sheesham). The rosewood is slow growing and over-exploitation of its wood and illegal logging threaten its sustainability. Large plantations have been established in Java and India to meet the demand for rosewood in India. Because of its ‘Vulnerable’ status on the IUCN Red List, artisans, craftsmen and furniture manufacturers in India are being encouraged to switch to mango wood, which is safe, sustainable in the long term and easily rivals the material and beauty of teak or rosewood in quality.