Behind The Veneer

A report into how Indonesia’s last rainforests are being felled for flooring.

Merbau, a highly valuable hardwood, is being ruthlessly targeted by illegal logging syndicates in Indonesian Papua to supply the booming demand for tropical hardwood flooring.

While suppliers and retailers of merbau flooring must stop duping their customers and take urgent steps to ensure the legal origin of their wood, this briefing concludes it is ultimately the responsibility of governments in western consuming countries to ensure that stolen timber is not allowed to reach the shelves.