These are facts consumers use to drive their buying behavior. So, manufacturers now supply accurate information and are increasingly doing so. The proof can be found on a pack of eggs or a bag of peas; there it all is, clearly declared.

Could this also be a way forward for the forest industry? Or rather in all industries making products from trees?

Consumer power is a forceful way to create the necessary peer pressure for change. Most people know from an early age that trees are the lungs of Mother Earth, transforming CO2 to the oxygen we breathe. But much fewer consumers know that trees are a steadily growing resource thanks to a century of responsible forestry.

Now look at this from a corporate perspective. Supplying sustainably produced goods has become one of the strongest brand promises today. So, imagine the following. Next time you buy a new kitchen table, there’s a label with the GPS coordinates indicating where the trees grew. Your floorboards will be marked with how much water was used in production. And cookbooks will explain their environmental credentials by presenting both the ingredients and the recipes of the pulp they are made from.

Would that work? We don’t know yet. But let’s find out.

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