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English
Polity Press
04 March 2011
Series: Resources
Timber is a vital resource that is all around us. It is the house that shelters us, the furniture we relax in, the books we read, the paper we print, the disposable diapers for our babies, and the boxes that contain our cereal, detergent, 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.

By:   ,
Imprint:   Polity Press
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 211mm,  Width: 150mm,  Spine: 15mm
Weight:   272g
ISBN:   9780745649283
ISBN 10:   0745649289
Series:   Resources
Pages:   200
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Peter Dauvergne is Professor of International Relations at the University of British Columbia.

Reviews for Timber

Timber uncovers the dark world of commodity chains that link the wood in our lives to global deforestation, and offers rays of hope for promising change. It elicits not simply intellectual engagement but deep gratitude toward the authors for their penetrating research, political insights and clarity of expression. The book should be required reading for everyone. Paul Wapner, American University, Washington DC A deep and incisive expose of the roles that timber and retail interests play in driving deforestation, the enormous economic power they wield in the market place and the tactics they use to influence small firms. The book speaks beyond the subject of timber to provide an original and thoughtful commentary on how international commodity chains shape not only the global economy but the global environment. David Humphreys, Open University 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 Cashore, Yale University Fascinating ... This book is an essential source of objective knowledge on the role that industry, retailers and consumers play in determining whether the world's forests are adequately managed. Michael Jenkins, President, Forest Trends


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