In an effort to encourage ecologically sustainable forestry practices an international organization started issuing certifications to wood companies that meet high ecological standards by conserving resources and recycling materials Companies that receive

Both the reading and the listening talk about the ecocertification for wood companies in the United States. The former explains three reasons that it would be less likely for US wood enterprises to receive such certification. The professor, on the other hand, casts doubt on the idea by mentioning that despite the arguments made in the text, many American wood companies can recieve ecocertification due to the following reasons.

First of all, both the author and the lecture posit whether or not advertising will negatively affect American wood companies. The passage asserts that American consumers are bombarded with such advertisements everyday that they don’t trust those claims anymore. The professor, in contrast, rebuts the idea by pointing out that American individuals don’t treat every advertisement the same. According to her, American corporations will react favorably with regard to independent ecocertifed with international brands. Therefore, the first deduction of the text is incorrect.

Second of all, both the writer and the lecturer put forward whether or not the price will affect the consumer decisions. The article argues that ecocertified wood will be more expensive than uncertified ones resulting in less motivation for American institutions to buy them. The speaker, however, rejects the notion by saying that studies have shown that consumer decision is not actually affected just by one factor, i.e. price. Accordingly, if prices are just five percent above, American people will choose the certified woods because by doing so they can positively conserve environment too.

Finally, both the article and the speaker put forth the idea about wood companies’ customers. The writer avers that because most customers of those companies are from inside the USA, it is not convincing enough for them to keep up with the recent progress in other parts of the world. The lecturer, conversely, refutes this by explaining that foreign consumers are not of much importance when compared to foreign competition. According to her, American companies can absorb those customers that pay much attention to eco-friendly wood institutions.