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Furniture Firms Linked to Orang-utan Habitat Destruction in Borneo
31 Oct
Summary
- Investigators find European furniture companies importing timber from Borneo's deforested areas
- Factories in Indonesia exported 23,272 cubic meters of timber to EU countries in 2024
- Orang-utans being driven out, indigenous communities losing their land
According to a recent investigation, European furniture companies are likely playing a significant role in the ruination of orang-utan habitat in Borneo. Investigators from the UK-based Earthsight and Indonesian counterpart Auriga Nusantara have found that hardwood products sold in Europe are sourced from the biggest users of deforestation timber in Indonesia.
The investigators examined around 10,000 unpublished government documents and identified approximately 65 factories and mills in Indonesia that export their timber to EU member states. They visited four regions in Borneo where large swaths of jungle have been recently cleared, and found that the top five producers on their list sold 23,272 cubic meters of plywood, garden decking, and door frames made from tree species found only in natural forests, mostly to companies in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
The destruction of Borneo's forests is not only an Indonesian tragedy, but a global one, as orang-utans are being driven out of their habitats and indigenous communities are losing their land. Residents described feeling like "just a spectator" as they watched the razing of the jungle.
