For wildlife on land there is no more valuable place than the forest. Branches and broad leaves of oak trees provide animals with shelter. Nuts from walnut trees and water from forest streams nourish them. And different shades of bark camouflage wildlife from predators. Wildlife as large as elephants and small as ants depend on the soil, trees, water and air of the forests. No wonder 80% of the world’s known terrestrial species live in forests. Most of these animals and plants are found in the lush tropical rain forests of places like the Amazon and Indonesia. These forests are also a prime target for companies that use trees to create everyday products—things like toilet paper, napkins, brooms and bed frames.

And the same forests are threatened by companies that cut down trees to make way for growing palm oil and soy. The same palm oil and soy found in goods we use daily—from shampoo to salad dressing to the food consumed by the livestock we eat.

Trees are being cut down at a rapid rate—the equivalent of 27 soccer fields per minute—to meet the demand for such products.

So how can we turn this situation around?

Forests for people and wildlife

For American consumers, the answer is simple: Buy products that have the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label. The label means the product was created with material from a responsibly managed forest. The FSC—which WWF helped create nearly 20 years ago—has the best standards for assessing which forests are properly managed.