Timber
Jane Lister, Past Lu Faculty Affiliate, UBC
Peter Dauvergne, Former Liu Director, UBC
March 3, 2011
This publication is not available for download.
To purchase a copy of this publication, please visit: http://www.amazon.ca/Timber-Peter-Dauvergne/dp/0745649289/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1299187499&sr=8-6
Timber is a vital resource that is all around us. It forms our homes and furniture, our disposable diapers and newspapers, and boxes our ceral and new appliances. The way we produce and consume timber, however, is changing. With international timber companies and big box discount retailers increasingly controlling through global commodity chains where and how much timber is traded, the world’s remaining old-growth forests, particularly in the developing world, are under threat of disappearing – all for the price of a consumer bargain.
This trailblazing book is the first to expose what’s happening inside corporate commodity chains with conclusions that fundamentally challenge our understanding of how and why deforestation persists. Authors Peter Dauvergne and Jane Lister reveal how timber now moves through long and complex supply chains from the forests of the global South through the factories of emerging economies like China to the big box retail shelves of Europe and North America. Well-off consumers are getting unprecedented deals. But the social and environmental costs are extraordinarily high as corporations mine the world’s poorest regions and most vulnerable ecosystems.
The growing power of big retail within these commodity chains is further increasing South-North inequities and unsustainable global consumption. Yet, as this book’s highly original analysis uncovers, it is also creating some intriguing opportunities to promote more responsible business practices and better global forest governance.
“A brilliant and powerful book that allows us to see the forest for the trees. Its stunning expose is a must-read for scholars and practitioners seeking a more promising and sustainable future.” – Ben Cashmore, Yale University
