Preventing Rainforest deforestation by buying eco-friendly furniture

Do you know that around 8% of timber which entered European Union countries in 2004 was probably illegal and could have landed up as tables and chairs, according to estimates by World Wide Fund for Nature researcher James Hewitt.

A number of shoppers dont realize that when they purchase furniture, that nice bed made of teak wood, they are inadvertently encouraging the deforestation of precious rain forest. The wood that is used in the furniture is more likely to have come from illegal felling of trees in the rain forest in Asia, Africa or Latin America.

Experts say the best way of clamping down on illegal logging of rainforests in Asia, Africa and Latin America is to educate consumers in the West to make sure they buy furniture made from sustainable sources such as plantation wood.

If consumers ask about the sources of wood before they buy furniture, then prices might come down and there would be no financial incentives for locals to cut down these unique and irreplaceable tropical forests, they say.

To this end, the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) issues a logo for furniture made from approved plantation wood as opposed to wood from rainforests, which are ruined forever once chopped down even when loggers attempt to replant secondary forests.
Identifying growing consumer demand for sustainable furniture, Swedish furniture giant Ikea has set itself a goal of ensuring that at least 30% of its wood comes from FSC-approved sources by next year.

“People ask where does the product come from? What kind of wood is it made from? Is it coming from tropical rainforests?” said Sofie Beckham, a forestry coordinator for Ikea.

Shoppers concerned about the environment should instead opt for long-lasting furniture made from approved or recycled wood.

Read more on this article here.