Forest Friendly Shopping Tips

Problem: 28 million acres of rainforests are destroyed annually. At this rate, in 49 years time there will be none left.

Why are they being cut down?

• To provide land for 'unsustainable' crops which produce palm oil and soy.
• To provide grazing for livestock.
• To provide 'illegally logged' wood for the furniture, building and paper industries.
• To produce biofuel.
• To clear areas for mining and urban development.
  

The good news: there is enough land available already without cutting down any more rainforests.

The bad news: companies get a fat profit from growing crops on fertile, newly deforested land. Proper land management reduces their profits. These short term profits are causing a global catastrophe.

How can we stop this happening?

Solution: vote with the pound in your pocket. Reject products that destroy rainforests.

Make a fresh start and discover the joys of cooking seasonal vegetables and free range organic meat. Eat less meat too. A well balanced diet includes eggs, 'sustainably caught' fish, mushrooms, nuts and pulses such as chick peas and lentils alongside fresh seasonal vegetables.

Click here for your forest friendly shopping list.

• Stop buying processed food, fast food and ready meals.
• Become a forest friendly detective and sniff out rainforest damaging ingredients (you will need a magnifying glass!).
• If you buy wood products look for the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) logo. Upcycled and reclaimed wood, from floors to funked up furniture, it's the cutting edge in interior decoration.

Support ethical companies and farmers - they will go from strength to strength.