The role of tree DNA tracking is increasing in the fight against illegal logging as evidenced by prosecution cases in USA and Germany.
In a recent report Interpol has estimated that the value of illegal logging is worth more than USD 30 billion a year, while the legitimate annual global trade is estimated to be worth in the region of USD 115 billion. Perhaps the biggest shock is a revelation by Interpol that the trade in illegal logs is worth almost as much as drug production. One possible solution to this global problem is through government legislation such as the USA’s Lacey Act, the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), and the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill amongst others.
The true impact of these measures on illegal logging is still yet to be fully realized. The answer could perhaps then lie in the DNA testing pioneered by Double Helix Tracking Technologies (DoubleHelix).
This modern technology offers a unique opportunity: you could pinpoint the origin of your table at home and track down if the trees it was made from were illegally obtained. Each wooden piece of wood comes with a hidden natural barcode that can tell its story from a sapling in a forest all the way to your end.
"DNA technology relies on use of genetic info for catching criminals. Exactly the same type of analysis is used for illegal logging,"
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