MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

90% of Amazon lumber illegally timbered

Greenpeace claims 90% of the Amazon lumber was illegally timbered and at least one third was consumed by the Brazilian government.

"Brazil is feeding and financing the destruction of the Amazon forests by buying the wood" said Greenpeace program coordinator Adriana Imparato in Sao Paulo.

To make things even worse, several public-sector agencies purchase about one-third of the illegally timbered wood, insisted Ms Imparato.

"The Brazilian bureaucracy is committing an environmental crime by purchasing wood of illegal origin from uncontrolled deforestation.

Speaking to Agencia Brazil, Ms Imparato revealed that Sao Paulo, Brazil's richest and most industrialized state, was the largest consumer of wood in the country, followed by the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Ms Imparato estimates 17% of the Amazon rainforest is already suffering from regular illegal timber.

"Scientists from around the world have warned that when deforestation reaches 40% of the Amazon, an irreversible process of desertification will begin turning the area into barren ground", added Ms Imparato.