Lucca Rattan Shelving Unit

• 70cm H x 55cm W x 14.5cm D
• Natural Rattan

• Standard delivery - UK mainland - £5.95

Natural rattan furniture is one of the most eco-friendly & sustainable choices you can make when it comes to buying furniture, meaning not only do you get to enjoy a wonderful piece of furniture for years to come, but you are also doing your bit to help future generations.

Rattan is a naturally renewable palm that grows in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia, and is used for furniture, handicrafts, and building material among others. Rattan continues to be an invaluable part of rural people’s livelihoods in South and Southeast Asia.

The majority of the world’s rattans are found in Indonesia’s forests, with the rest of the world's supply provided by the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh among others.

Almost all the rattan is collected from tropical rainforests.  Because of deforestation rattan populations have decreased over the last few decades.  However, with the increased popularity of rattan furniture around the globe the focus has returned to rattan cultivation and this is good news for forests.  Rattan harvesting and processing provides an alternative to logging timber in areas where forests are scarce.  In fact, rattan grows best under some sort of tree cover including secondary forest, fruit orchards, tree plantations or rubber estates.  As a result rattan planting indirectly protects tree cover, along with forests.  Some rattan species are appropriate for small-scale cultivation under fruit trees or in rubber gardens. This allows smallholders to earn extra money on small areas of land.

Rattan is an attractive resource because it is easier to harvest than timber, and is also easier to transport, and to top it all it also grows faster than trees.