Forests: How Effective Is the EU’s Marquee Policy to Reduce the Illegal Timber Trade?

Jun 19, 2024 | Mike Gaworecki, Mongabay
View Original

It’s extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to determine the full extent of the illicit production and trade of timber worldwide. Illegal loggers and the shadowy networks that trade in timber outside the law aren’t exactly reporting their activities to authorities who track timber imports and exports.

But it is possible to get a sense of the scale of this trade. According to Interpol, the international crime-fighting organization, illegally harvested and traded timber accounts for an estimated 15-30% of the global timber trade and is worth $51 billion to $152 billion every year.