Illegally Logged Hardwood from DRC Used for Furniture in China

A worker at a furniture factory in Jinhua carves a table made out of Mukula hardwood.
Pterocarpus tinctorius, or Mukula tree, is a rare and slow-growing hardwood unique to southern and central Africa. Mukula has been illegally logged and traded from Zambia and DRC to China for the last decade, feeding the increasing demand of "rosewood" in the Chinese market.

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Unique identifier: GP0STQVMP

Type: Image

Shoot date: 29/12/2016

Locations: Asia, China, Zhejiang

Credit line: © Lu Guang / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

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Illegal Logging of Hardwood in DRC and Its Trading in China

Pterocarpus tinctorius, or Mukula tree, is a rare and slow-growing hardwood unique to southern and central Africa. Mukula has been illegally logged and traded from Zambia and DRC to China for the last decade, feeding the increasing demand of "rosewood" in the Chinese market.
Chinese photographer Lu Guang traveled to Katanga province in the DR Congo as well as eastern China documenting the expanding Mukula industry. The project, commissioned by Greenpeace, follows its supply chain from the DRC, where it’s used for traditional medicine, dye, and a source of pollen for bees used in honey production—to processing centers in China and upscale furniture showrooms.

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Illegal Logging of Hardwood in DRC and Its Trading in China (Photos & Video)

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