Wal-Mart, WWF team up to protect forests

WASHINGTON & BENTONVILLE, Ark. Wal-Mart Stores joined the Global Forest & Trade Network, the World Wildlife Fund’s initiative to save the world’s most valuable and threatened forests. By joining the GFTN, Wal-Mart has committed to phasing out illegal and unwanted wood sources from its supply chain and increasing its proportion of wood products originating from credibly certified sources--for Wal-Mart stores and Sam’s Clubs in the United States.

“With nearly half of the world’s forests already gone, action is urgently needed,” said Suzanne Apple, WWF’s vp for business and industry. “Wal-Mart’s commitment to support responsible forestry answers that call to action. WWF welcomes the company to a global community committed to healthy business and healthy forests.” 

The United States is the largest consumer of industrial timber, pulp and paper in the world. The United States is also among the top destinations for imports of wood from areas where illegal logging and trade are common, such as Indonesia, China and Brazil. Thus, the U.S. market is critical to protecting forests worldwide. Wal-Mart’s commitment includes the importation and sale of all wood-based products with an initial focus on wood-based furniture. Wal-Mart sources furniture from the Amazon, Russian Far East, northern China, Indonesia and the Mekong region of southeast Asia. These areas include some of the most biologically diverse places on earth, places that WWF is working to protect.

Within one year, Wal-Mart will complete an assessment of where its wood furniture is coming from and whether the wood is legal and well-managed. Once the assessment is completed, Wal-Mart has committed to eliminating wood from illegal and unknown sources within five years. The company will also eliminate wood from forests that are of critical importance due to their environmental, socio-economic, biodiversity or landscape values and that aren’t well-managed.