What is the problem with the way wood fiber is often harvested

As it exists today, the paper-making industry primarily depends upon virgin wood-based fibers to make the pulp that becomes sheets of paper. Much of the wood used comes from old growth and environmentally sensitive forests in all parts of the world – to give just two examples, the boreal forest in Northern Canada and tropical forests in Southeast Asia. In a number of countries like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Russia, the logging that takes place is not only unsustainable but also carried out in areas where it is illegal to log. Once exported to other countries to be milled and manufactured into a variety of products, including paper, it is difficult to tell whether the wood was legally or illegally logged.