Japan has relied on overseas forests for much of its timber needs. In the producing countries, problems such as illegal logging and deforestation continue, resulting in the loss of rich biodiversity and the destruction of the lives of local communities who depend on the blessings of the forests. Unconscious use of furniture and residential building materials made from wood from unknown sources leads to the destruction of forests overseas. In recent years, illegal logging has been occurring in Japan.
FoE Japan investigates forests in Japan and abroad and makes policy recommendations, while at the same time working to change the consumption pattern of wood by corporations and consumers through the spread of the use of fairly sourced wood.