Jul 19, 2026 Features / Columnists, News

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana’s indigenous peoples are known for their craftsmanship. Using materials from their surroundings and skills perfected over time, they continue to design unique traditional and non-traditional items. One of the common materials used is wood from the various species harvested from trees surrounding indigenous communities in Guyana’s hinterland regions. From this, miniatures, utensils, canoes and other handicrafts are made for sale to support several indigenous village economies.

Through standards, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) can play an important role in maintaining the viability of artisans’ businesses within the traditional craft industry, while at the same time supporting local tourism. One of these standards is the “Code of Practice for Manufacture of wooden craft items (GCP 31:2010)”, which was adopted from CARICOM. The standard seeks to promote the quality of wooden craft items.