Our dual approach is to expose forest crime and to promote new policy measures and regulations to end international trade in illegally sourced timber and wood products. To this end, we work in both timber producing countries – in Asia, Africa and Latin America – and in major wood-consuming markets – the United States and European Union.

Our undercover investigations have instigated major crackdowns on illegal logging and associated timber trade in Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Honduras. Our frontline evidence combined with trade data analysis has illustrated the key role played by U.S., European and Japanese consumer demand in driving the illegal logging epidemic. We are also making an urgent case to regulate global timber trade as part of the fight against climate change. Deforestation releases carbon and already accounts for almost a fifth of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Illegal logging must be stamped out if the world’s remaining forests are to act as buffers against climate change. 

Armed with more than a decade’s worth of evidence and experience, EIA is working at the highest levels of government and the corporate sector to educate decision makers about the costs of illegal timber trade and to promote lasting solutions.

		Exposing Wal-Mart: EIA investigations revealed how poor procurement practices have resulted in Wal-Mart stocking cribs, toilet seats and craft sticks sourced from Russian forests, habitat for critically endangered tigers, where illegal logging and timber smuggling are rampant. The retail giant is now reviewing its wood sourcing policies Update, September 2008: Wal-Mart responded to the EIA report by engaging in productive discussions and has taken significant steps to understand and reduce its exposure to illegal wood products. The company created a new managerial position focused on forest product legality and, in June 2008, signed an agreement with WWF committing to eliminate illegal wood from one of its main product lines, furniture, within six years, and to work together on a risk assessment of wood products in its stores. These initial steps send a positive signal to the wider market that the world's largest retailer is beginning to ask questions. Many retailers, manufacturers, and timber suppliers have yet to take even a first step. EIA hopes that Wal-Mart and other companies will use this opportunity to make sound and responsible wood sourcing central to their business plan. Wal-Mart has not released any findings regarding the specific case studies published in EIA's report. [ read report ]
		Educating Congress: EIA’s field evidence and policymaker education efforts were the key instigators of major, bipartisan legislation - passed by the U.S. Congress in May 2008 – that prohibits the import and commerce of illegally sourced timber and derivative products [ read press release ]
		On the Ground in Honduras: The product of over a year of undercover investigations, EIA’s exposé of the far-reaching web of corruption and illegalities in Honduras’s forest sector caused a dramatic increase in government enforcement, changed U.S. company sourcing practices, and helped spur passage of a new, more equitable Forest Law. [ read English report ] [ read Spanish report ]

The United States is the world’s biggest timber and wood products market – importing $58.2 billion worth in 2005. As such, we have a special responsibility to crack down on illegal timber entering our ports, especially as this black market trade is undercutting U.S. timber companies. To make this happen, EIA is focusing efforts on both corporations and policymakers.

EIA’s forest campaign work began in Indonesia and since 1997 we have worked in partnership there with the Indonesian NGO Telapak. Click here for more on this unique collaboration
[ Forests For The World UK website ]