Call for Indiana’s RV industry to cut ties to destruction of orangutan habitat in Indonesia
Link to Mighty Earth Investigation
Mighty Earth has launched a new campaign calling on the RV industry in the U.S, largely headquartered in Indiana, to adopt strong sustainable wood sourcing policies. It follows an investigation by Mighty Earth, which found an area of rainforest the size of Los Angeles had been cleared in a timber concession in Indonesian Borneo, threatening the lives of Indigenous communities and critically endangered Bornean orangutans. Populations of this species has declined by more than 50% over the last sixty years, due to habitat loss.
For several years, Mighty Earth has been monitoring the operations of Alas Kusama, a notoriously secretive company, which we dubbed “one of the last big deforesters.” In November 2023 we lodged a complaint with the Forest Stewardship Council, highlighting one of the worst cases of deforestation by a former subsidiary of Alas Kusama called PT Mayawana Persada. That complaint has been accepted and is currently being investigated. We found that members of the Indigenous Dayak communities had been driven from their ancestral lands and their huts burned, in violation of their human and traditional rights. The destruction of pristine forest and carbon-rich peatlands also threatens endangered species such as Bornean orangutans, sun bears and helmeted hornbills.
Elkhart, Indiana — widely recognized as the “RV capital of the world” — is home to leading manufacturers and suppliers, including Thor Industries and Forest River Inc. The state manufactures 86% of all RVs sold in the United States and Canada, with Elkhart driving much of that output. The production is meeting a strong appetite for RV travel— 44 million people are planning to travel by RV in summer of 2025.
Meranti plywood is the timber of choice for RV manufacturers. It’s cheap and can be cut thinly for the interior walls, floors and ceilings of camper van interiors. Working with partners, we were able to trace meranti plywood from West Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo to the Amercian RV sector. In its investigation, Earthsight confirmed that the wood from the Mayawana Persada concession was being shipped to the United States and likely into the supply chains of Winnebago, Thor and Forest River.
Amanda Hurowitz, Forest Commodities Lead at Mighty Earth, said:
“The use of meranti plywood is the RV industry’s dirty secret. Unwitting, nature-loving van owners in the US would be horrified to learn that the wood in their vehicles can be traced to deforestation threatening the lives of people and critically endangered Bornean orangutans in Indonesian’s rainforests. It doesn’t have to be this way – the RV industry in Indiana and beyond can stop using timber tied to deforestation and adopt responsible sourcing policies. We’re urging the big RV manufacturers to follow the lead of major American retailers such as Lowe’s and Home Depot who buy only sustainable timber.”
Mighty Earth is calling for:
The RV industry to implement strong wood sourcing policies.
RV company policies should:
- As a first step, ensure its purchases are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified;
- Prohibit the use of wood from deforestation, peatland, or otherwise sourced illegally;
- Demand traceability back to harvest site, checked by audits and scientific testing;
- Require annual publication of progress against the policy and implement strong due diligence measures;
- Explore alternatives to unsustainable plywood.
RV owners, retailers and shareholders should:
- Reach out to RV suppliers and manufacturers to demand stronger wood sourcing policies and truly sustainable supply chains for RV production
- Read more about asks for the industry in “What to Know About R.V.s and Deforested Wood” article by the New York Times.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Sydney Jones, Press Secretary (Washington DC)
+1 561 809 5522
Mike Oles
+1 317 281 0568
About Mighty Earth
Mighty Earth is a global advocacy organization working to defend a living planet. Our goal is to protect Nature and secure a climate that allows life to flourish. We are obsessed with impact. Our team has achieved transformative change by persuading leading industries to dramatically reduce deforestation and climate pollution throughout their global supply chains in meat, palm oil, rubber, cocoa, and animal feed, while improving livelihoods for Indigenous and local communities across the tropics. www.mightyearth.org
