Where We Work

North America

Where we work: Canada, Mexico, United States

Background

With less than five percent of the world’s population, the United States remains the largest consumer of industrial timber, pulp and paper anywhere, using some 200 million tons of wood products annually. While much of its imported wood comes from areas where illegal logging and trade are common, the trend toward the purchase of responsibly produced wood and paper products is growing as an increasing number of consumers throughout North America understand that they can support biodiversity conservation and the safe and decent treatment of workers, their families and communities around the world through their purchases.

In response to consumer pressure that they reduce their environmental footprint, a steadily growing number of businesses are making responsibly produced certified goods available -- not only out of concern for the environment, but as a way to differentiate their products in the marketplace, to cut costs, to reduce risks and to access premium markets. Paper, furniture and wood products companies are buying timber and pulp from responsibly managed forests. And supermarkets and hotels are stocking sustainably produced coffee, fruit, flowers and other agricultural goods.

Not only is the number of businesses that source responsibly on the rise in North America, but so is the number of responsible producers -- particularly foresters -- who are managing their lands to protect wildlife habitat, soils and waterways and to ensure that healthy forestlands remain standing for the long-term. Over 30 percent of all Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests are located in North America, and Canada currently has more certified acreage than anywhere else in the world.

Our Work

In North America, the Rainforest Alliance works with forestry companies and loggers, large and small, to ensure the responsible management of temperate and boreal forestlands. And we work with paper products companies, furniture manufacturers, publishers and forward-thinking companies of all kinds to source responsibly produced wood and pulp and to incorporate responsible sourcing policies.

In addition to working on the ground with foresters in North America, much of our work across the continent -- and particularly in the United States -- is focused on education in the broadest sense of the term. We educate businesses and consumers about the benefits of procuring sustainably produced goods and services. We educate architects, builders and printers about responsibly produced wood products. And we educate companies and consumers about the availability of green goods.

Along with raising eco-awareness among adults, we have undertaken a major effort to inform young people -- the conservationists and enlightened consumers of the future -- through our Learning Site, which contains lesson plans, stories, posters, conservation projects and other educational materials for kindergarten through middle school students. We also work with schools in New Jersey and Connecticut that are implementing school-wide rainforest-oriented curricula.