Illegal tropical timber is booming – FSC® protects

A new law aims to prevent illegal tropical timber from being imported into Europe. Many importers use the guideline to certify the legal origin of their tropical wood. However, research by the environmental organization Greenpeace now shows that the law is being massively misused for “green washing”.

Robber wood despite new law

According to Greenpeace, for example, around 80 percent of the wood in the Brazilian state of Pará comes from illegal logging. German companies also imported wood from there, which could be imported with forged documents despite the Timber Trade Security Act. In the World Trade Center in Geneva and in the National Library in Paris, overexploited wood from the tropics was also used with forged papers. Jannes Stoppel, forest expert at Greenpeace, says: “Our research shows that wood that comes from the Brazilian Amazon and is sold in Europe and America cannot be trusted.”

Illegal logging is the first step towards widespread deforestation. The rainforest is being destroyed, animals and plants are being driven away. The result is massive social and ecological problems. In a video, Greenpeace explains how the European and American timber industries are destroying the ecological system and subsequently portraying illegal tropical timber as ecological:

Greenpeace over the Amazon

Best protection: FSC® 100%

Forest management with sustainable principles can protect the rainforest in the long term and increase global forest areas. The prerequisite is not only legal but also sustainable management rules - and their independent control. Environmental protection organizations such as Greenpeace and Robin Wood have developed a reliable seal that guarantees compliance with legal, social and ecological criteria: the FSC®-100% seal.

For people who Tropical wood decking, Wooden tiles and Cutting boards If you want to buy from ecological forestry, FSC®-100% should be a prerequisite - so that you do not have to rely solely on the dealers' promises. At Betterwood, we only import tropical wood with FSC® certification to promote sustainable forestry and to give illegal tropical wood no chance.

Read Greenpeace's article here: “Illegal timber imports are booming”.