Individuals around the world have a role to play in combating illegal logging. Second, we can boycott companies that are known to use illegally harvested wood and buy from more . As a student, there are several ways to help prevent illegal logging. Licenses to cut down trees are falsified. Illegal logging that leads to deforestation is an issue that extends to local, national, and international levels. WWF works to ensure that the The Trans-Pacific Partnershipa trade agreement the US is negotiating with 11 other countriesincludes conservation provisions, such as prohibiting trade in resources and wildlife that are harvested or exported in violation of national laws that protect wildlife, forest or marine resources. One is ensuring that powerful policies are in place in the US and other countries. The website is owned and published by The Resurgence Trust, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (5821436) and a charity registered in England and Wales (1120414). USAID supported the creation of Peru's National Forest and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for forest- and wildlife-related issues, and the National Forest and Wildlife Policy, a long-term plan for forestry management. Murdered on the ancestral lands he fought to protect, Chota died alongside three other indigenous community leaders as they protested the plunder of their forests by illegal loggers. How Technology Can Help Stop Illegal Logging By Jesse Prentice-Dunn July 6, 2015 iStock/goce Earlier this year, Sierra magazine wrote about using high-tech surveillance gear, including cell phones, to catch illegal loggers. Along with donations, some charities sell shirts, bags, stickers, and similar items to raise funds. The UN Environment Programme reports that illegal logging accounts for between 15% and 30% of global timber trade and rises to 50% to 90% of the trade from tropical countries. Despite the agencys efforts, illegal timber does still find its way into the U.S. supply chain due to the opacity of the industry in many parts of the world. Donate to The Ecologist and support high impact environmental journalism and analysis. WWF helped create the FSC nearly 20 years ago and we continue toencourage US consumers to buy wood products that are FSC certified. For those who want to travel, look for events related to working in forests or surveying landscapes. The Biden administration announced Friday that 804,000 borrowers will have their student debt wiped away, totaling $39 billion worth of debt, in the coming weeks due to fixes that more accurately . .chakra .wef-facbof{display:inline;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-facbof{display:block;}}You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. to use drones to catch illegal loggers and miners. Sierra Club and "Explore, enjoy and protect the planet" are registered trademarks of the Sierra Club. The government convicted Lumber Liquidators Inc. for importing illegally harvested timber that originated in eastern Russia in a region that was home to the endangered Siberian tiger and Amur leopard, explained Elliott Harbin, Homeland Security Investigations national program manager for the Environmental Crimes Program. Mining for example , which continuously chipping away and destroying Sierra Madre, also includes forest degradation, and erosion. July 6, 2015. They estimate that between 20% and 40% of the global timber trade comes from illegal sources.. As a result, the UN Environment Programme estimates that the economic value of . A pandemic turns out to be an opportune time for illegal loggers. In the past ten years, the world has lost an area approximately the size of Virginia every year, and thats a conservative estimate, she said. Though easier to deliver, letters and e-mail have a lower chance of getting your representatives attention. Using its sophisticated mass spectrometer, the lab can determine the chemical signature of a piece of wood and match it to reference samples. A recent report by Brazilian non-governmental organizations found 464,759 hectares (1.15 million acres . World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax ID number 52-1693387) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. These communities or tribes are, in most cases, impoverished and entirely depend on the forest for their needs and survival. Mercury pollutes nearby water sources, poisoning wildlife and local drinking water. The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020, strengthens CBPs ability to investigate and prosecute environmental crimes like illegal logging. The United States imports timber from countries around the world, with the majority arriving from Sweden, Canada, and China. In addition to dedicated trade analysts like Nogueira, CBP officers and agriculture specialists inspect and detain timber shipments across all 328 ports of entry to ensure compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Lacey Act, which prohibits illegal trafficking in wildlife and plants, as well as an array of applicable customs violations, such as importations contrary to law or false documentation. The USAID offices of Forestry and Biodiversity and Global Climate Change regularly engage with stakeholder forums, such as Forest Legality Week, to better understand the link between illegality, corruption, and deforestation. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. This is not a straightforward exercise for most products. Environmental groups have also proactively supported and rewarded positive corporate sustainability initiatives. Because wood is often processed outside of its country of origin, it can be difficult to trace a shipment back to the original stump, especially if exporters intentionally obscure that information. In this chapter, we discuss different options available to tackle this major environmental problem, exacerbated by globalisation. Shredded paper is harder to recycle, so keep your documents whole when possible. WWF provides guidance on best practices related to legality and responsible sourcing to hundreds of companies around the world, including 11 in the US that participate in our Global Forest & Trade Network-North America program. That declaration identifies the species of the plant, the quantity of plant material, the value of the commodity, and the country from which the plant was harvested.. CBP is playing a huge and very important role in preventing illegal timber from coming into the United States, which sets a global standard for consequences for bad actors, Neumeister said. Msg & Data Rates May Apply.Text STOP to opt out. CBP will continue to leverage its unique border authorities to prosecute and dismantle transnational criminal organizations who pose a threat to the environment and to the economy. Since its inception in 1988, the lab has specialized in identifying types of wildlife and analyzing evidence in wildlife-related crimes. Trees are harvested from protected areas and then traded illegally. Greater transparency in supply chains could prevent consumers from becoming unwitting accomplices to these crimes, Breitkopf explained. The policy commits Staples to only purchase 'sustainable paper products' defined as paper products 'that are designed, harvested and manufactured to minimize environmental impacts across the entire life- cycle, promote responsible forest management, and protect the rights and needs of local communities.'. Thankfully, thats not the only technological advance helping to combat this worldwide problem. One result is Russia, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Central Africa, and South America are increasingly bearing a disproportionate share of the social and ecological costs of consuming the world's forests. Preventing illegal timber shipments from entering the U.S. protects American businesses from unfair competition, while cutting off a major revenue stream for transnational criminal organizations and bad actors who use profits . Forest footprint and product life- cycle analysis, To aid in tracing and revealing how much a company's products and supply chain activities impact upon the world's forests, a number of MNCs, including several major retailers, are analyzing their 'forest footprints.' While others, like Edwin Chota, pay much more. A lock ( While consumers decided between cash or credit at hardware stores across the globe, Chota paid with his life. Tackling global deforestation and degradation requires that the actors involved in global supply chains have the means to accurately verify the identity and geographic source of both timber and deforestation-related agricultural commodities. CBP Photo. Forest trees and other plants soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it away as they grow and thrive. As a part of the agreement, CBP sits on an environmental committee with 11 partner government agencies in order to make key policy recommendations to the U.S. Trade Representative on how to best enforce environmental provisions. He was a vocal environmental activist fighting the destruction of native forests, the lifeblood of indigenous communities around the world as they provide food, medicine, building materials, and economic opportunity for inhabitants. Photo by CBP, As one of the largest timber importers in the world, the U.S. represents a lucrative market for illegal suppliers. Importers also play an essential role as they have the oversight and means to increase supply chain transparency in order to expose the illegal networks and origins of imports. IKEA now has a Compliance & Monitoring Group, for example, that follows up on its IWAY code with regular audits (in addition to its third- party audits conducted by the Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Program). Retailers are increasingly participating in strategic partnerships among multiple stakeholders to design, implement, and legitimize policies and programs for governing the sustainability of global commodity chains. Peter Dauvergne & Jane Lister outline 7 key tools for retailers to limit the impacts of timber consumption, A decade ago, soya was being hailed as a superfood but in recent years, numerous issues surrounding deforestation and its impact on health have come to light, The Environmental Investigation Agency's forestry campaigner Faith Doherty welcomes a new report by the World Bank calling for stronger action to stop forestry corruption, but says more support is needed to help activists follow the money trail, Matilda Lee talks exclusively to the head of WWF Brazil about controversial beef and soya production, the REDD mechanism and deforestation, as well as the wider environmental challenges facing the emerging economic powerhouse, 7 ways to help stop tropical deforestion & illegal logging, The dark side of soya: how one super crop lost its way, EIA: 'Anti-corruption activists need help bringing iIlegal loggers to justice', Denise Hamu: Brazil 'needs to increase' beef and soya productivity, greenhouse gas protocol reporting standards, latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. CBP is responsible for enforcing the laws of the United States for the American people, but ending illegal logging and its devastating consequences must be a collective effort. U.S. Customs and Border Protection partners with Homeland Security Investigations, as well as a network of other partner government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, to investigate illegal logging practices around the world. Under CBPs counsel, the U.S. Trade Representative renewed the ban against La Oroza in 2020. Retailers are incorporating eco-certification and eco-labeled products into their commodity chain greening efforts and sales strategies as a means to define and assess supplier responsibility, ensure the sustainability of their product offerings, and capture new market demand for eco-friendly products. In the US, the most important policy related to illegal logging is the Lacey Act, passed more than 100 years ago to limit illegal wildlife trade. Thankfully, the past 40 years have seen major advancements in the fight against illegal logging, and there are many things you can do to keep the battle going. 1. Many other countries have a lower, but equally concerning, amount of illegal logging happening within their borders. U.S. Customs and Border Protection partners with Homeland Security Investigations, as well as a network of other partner government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, to investigate illegal logging practices around the world. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label means the product was produced with wood that meets rigorous environmental and social standards of responsible forestry. Green methods of production and utilization of resources can immeasurably reduce deforestation. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. WWF works closely with Eyes on the Forest,an alliance of dozens of NGOs that monitors the drivers of deforestation in Sumatra and Borneo and shares information to empower those working to protect critical habitat. The FFD Project aims to increase the transparency of corporate practices within the global commodity chains of the biggest "forest risk commodities" (e.g., timber, beef, soy, palm oil, and biofuels). First, we can support organizations that are actively working to end illegal logging, such as Greenpeace and the Rainforest Alliance. Image:REUTERS/Nacho Doce. Fish and Wildlife Service. The rate is 85 percent in Myanmar and nearly 65 percent in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many wood products in American homesfrom the kitchen table to hardwood floorscome from the same forested areas in Africa where elephants, rhinos, lions and other magnificent species roam wild. References. It has been done for a number of reasons, including claiming the land for human use, but recently, the illegal act is being done for other ridiculous motives, especially the desire for rare animal products such . By clicking Remind Me, you will also receive periodic communications from the Sierra Club. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Located in Ashland, Oregon, the U.S. Coming together to achieve this goal has cut global illegal logging by 22% - good news for orangutans, tigers, and communities that depend on forests. Individuals can demand that their local governments only fund or permit projects that use timber that is legally and responsibly produced. They also ensure the shipment is free of exotic plant pests. World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use. As human settlements replace deforested areas, contact between people and wild animals increases, and so does the risk of disease. By degrading biodiversity and forests economic value, forest exploitation also makes land even more vulnerable to deforestation for other uses.The continuously growing demand for commodities that require large areas of landincluding soy, palm oil, and beefdrives tropical deforestation, of which nearly half is illegal. Nonetheless, many are now taking up the challenge, worrying that a lack of supply chain knowledge presents a growing corporate risk: reputational, legal, and financial. Importers can also use tools like the Open Timber Portal by the World Resources Institute to identify countries and suppliers who are transparent in their harvesting methods. Some of them may be doing it intentionally to avoid paying the proper duty upon entry, said Nogueira.