Archived press release

Government acts on timber buying after FOE exposes navy mahogany scandal

30 July 1998

The review comes after Friends of the Earth exposed the scandal of the Navy's use of Brazilian mahogany to refurbish its ships. The Ministry of Defence bought over 200 cubic metres of Brazilian mahogany from a logging company in Brazil called Juary, which has been involved in illegal logging in the Amazon [2].

Sarah Tyack, Forest Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:
“We welcome this review. The Government may finally have seen the importance of setting a good example in protecting the world's forests. Let's hope the revised policy is one of commitment and clout and not just more green waffle”.

Friends of the Earth said that the revised policy should:
. ensure that no Government department uses Brazilian mahogany
. ensure that tropical timbers are avoided where possible and;
. where tropical timbers must be used, specifies the use of either reclaimed or independently certified wood.

NOTES TO EDITORS
[1] Angela Eagle, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment stated in a letter to Friends of the Earth in a letter dated 22 July 1998, “We are most concerned to ensure that hardwood procurement policy across all Departments accords fully with the Government's policy on the conservation and sustainable use of timber species....I have asked officials to review current policy on hardwood procurement across Government as a matter of urgency.”

[2] The MOD purchased the mahogany from a logging company called Juary via timber suppliers Parker Kislingbury. The 'certification' that accompanied the contract was no more than a letter from Juary which stated that they do not illegally log. Parker Kislingbury agreed to withdraw from the mahogany trade after seeing evidence provided by Friends of the Earth of the rife illegal and unsustainable logging of mahogany, which is causing irreparable damage to the Amazon rain forest and its people. All the mahogany coming into the UK comes from primary rainforests in Brazil. Rates of deforestation in Brazil are now worse then ever.

FOE's report 'Plunder for Profit' is the result of a nine month on-the-ground investigation into the illegal trade. Juary is one of the many companies named in the book for logging within an indigenous reserve and beyond their legal quota.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust