It is difficult to imagine that our actions here can have a long-term effect on the other side of the world. When you buy patio or garden furniture, do you spare a thought for the people who live in the rainforests from where the wood originates?
Indonesia has one of the largest rain forests in the world but hundreds of acres of trees are being cut down to make furniture, trinket boxes, doors and plywood to be sold here. This devastation is endangering not only the people and wildlife but it is contributing to global climate change on a large scale.
These rainforests contain a remarkable biodiversity and are the only home to the pygmy elephant, the clouded leopard, the sun bear and the orang-utan. They all face extinction if the forest is destroyed. As trees are felled, the surrounding flora die too, allowing the free flowing of floodwaters to kill more trees, insects and plants and soil erosion follows.
The livelihoods of the local people are all affected by the floodwater. People move about by boat, wading through the water to get to the shops. There are fears for the rice harvest and rattan, for weaving into baskets and mats, is more difficult to find.
There are attempts to licence companies to log sustainably so that the forest is not ruined, but illegal logging is everywhere. It is very difficult to track the trees from forest, to sawmill and then to boat. There is so much money to be made exporting logs that unscrupulous companies continually take out timber extra to their licence. Products from sustainable logging can be bought in this country at B&Q, John Lewis and Argos.
It is important to remember to look for the Forest Stewardship Council certification when you are buying any wood products from overseas to ensure that you are not adding to the troubles of people so far away.
Victoria,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that interesting article.
I visited Indonesia a few years ago while working for a furniture company and was convinced of the impossibility for UK importers to be sure where the timber came from. Even the so-called certificates were open to forgery.
Flying over Borneo and seeing the devastated forests was heart-breaking.
My conclusion was that the best choice for consumers would be European wood products.