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The beauty and richness of the sound of musical instruments are based on unique materials made from rare essences such as pernambuco, irreplaceable for the manufacture of bows, and grenadilla, indispensable for the manufacture of clarinets and other wind instruments.
For centuries, the density, suppleness and resonance of pernanbouc have given each instrument incomparable expressiveness. No other material – neither substitute wood nor synthetic fiber – can reproduce the finesse of sound that it allows.

These two species, already protected by CITES, are now threatened by administrative decisions that risk going too far. At CITES COP20, scheduled for November 24-December 5, 2025 in Samarkand, some states will be proposing to classify the pernambuco in Appendix I, which would make almost all bows illegal as early as 2026, thus blocking their circulation worldwide.

Such a measure, also applied to grenadilla, would bring the entire instrument-making industry to its knees. As a result, unique crafts would be wiped out, taking with them centuries of musical know-how and tradition. Worse still, these measures would prohibit musicians and orchestras from traveling freely with their instruments.

However, craftsmen and musicians are the first protectors of these species, which they consume sparingly while actively contributing to their conservation and repopulation. Bow makers, for example, have already contributed to the replanting of over 340,000 pernambuco trees in Brazil, far more than they consume. Similarly, wind instrument makers use less than 2% of the world’s grenadilla, while supporting sustainable local industries in Mozambique and Tanzania.

It is therefore urgent to choose the path of dialogue and cooperation, not that of indiscriminate bans.

Preserving pernambuco and grenadilla means protecting the expression of artists and guaranteeing the world’s diversity of sound.

Since we’re all concerned, sign this petition, along with many other renowned artists, so that music can continue to vibrate freely.
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https://www.change.org/p/sauvons-la-musique-sauvons-les-bois-pr%C3%A9cieux-save-music-save-precious-woods

Sign the petition...