Illegal logging
85% of Africa's tropical rainforest has now been destroyed
Africa's forests are nationally and globally important for their rich diversity of plant and animal life, for the livelihoods they provide for traditional, indigenous people and for the income they generate from timber exports. Within Africa, the forests of the Congo Basin are particularly rich: one quarter of the world's rainforests is found here.
The Congo Basin's massive forest loss is a result of conversion for agricultural purposes, mineral and oil extraction and unsustainable logging practices. By far the greatest threat is the demand for timber by some Asian and European-owned transnational logging companies, who take advantage of poor forest legislation and law enforcement.
International banks and financial institutions are also implicated in the deforestation of Central Africa’s last ancient forests, often funding some of the most notorious repeat offenders. As a result, countries such as Cameroon and Gabon suffer from high levels of illegal logging.
How widespread is the problem of illegal logging in Africa?
The forests of the Congo Basin are sprawled across several countries. The government of each country grants companies, more often than not foreign-owned, rights to log areas of the forest. These areas are called forest concessions and they vary in size and cost millions.
The problem arises when certain logging companies fail to stick to logging within their allocated concession and start illegally logging the forest beyond their legal boundary. This often results in forest designated as being in a protected area, due to their high conservation importance, being chopped down too. Poor law enforcement means that very few fines are given to companies to discourage them from offending in the future. This serves to only increase the frequency in which some companies illegally log.
Impact of logging on species: great apes under threat.
In Central Africa, timber has become a major export earner and vast areas of rainforest in great ape habitat in the Congo Basin have already been lost or opened up for logging by European concerns.
As well as contributing to the destruction of this forest, certain logging companies are prime accomplices in a more sinister trade. Some timber companies actively collude with, or turn a blind eye to, the poaching of great apes such as gorillas and other protected species.
Logging roads and trails, built by timber companies, are opening up previously untouched forest areas and provide ready access to hunters, who provide logging company employees with bush meat. Logging trucks are also used to transport bush meat out of the forest to city markets. All African countries with gorilla populations have wildlife legislation protecting gorillas and other endangered species such as chimpanzees, but enforcement remains weak.
What is the timber used for?
Tropical hardwoods from Africa are primarily imported for use in construction, but also for the manufacturing of doors, windows and some garden furniture. This means we often play a key role in fuelling the destruction of Africa’s forest without realising.
Solutions for industry, guidance for consumers
- Be a leader, be part of the solution. Join the Global Forest and Trade Network - an alliance of responsible companies and NGOs which help create markets for legal timber. ...more
- Shop smart - buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber. FSC is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization that offers a credible, international certification scheme for all forest types and plantations, and a full range of forest products. ...more
