China Daily published the following article today” highlighting theresponsibility of Western markets in the loss of forest cover intropical areas.

“Western consumption 'causes forest shrinkage'

By Wang Zhuoqiong (China Daily)

Westernconsumption” and not China's timber trade” is to blame for thedepletion of the world's tropical forest resources” according to arecent report.

Rethink China's Outward Investment Flows”compiled by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)” said most of thenatural resources imported to China are re-exported in the form ofvalue-added inputs or final products. More than 70 percent of importedtimber is processed into furniture and exported to the United Statesand European Union countries. When searching for reasons behindshrinking forests” “we should be careful and we should always look atthe final destination”” said Dennis Pamlin” a global policy advisor ofWWF Sweden” who is co-author of the report.

“Or it gives anincomplete picture and can contribute to a situation where China isseen as the problem” when the main problem is Western consumptionpatterns”” Pamlin said yesterday.

Read the rest of the article on the China daily website.