Wilbert G. Holliman
Chairman and CEO
Furniture Brands International
101 South Hanley Road, 19th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63105

RE: Don't support illegal and unsustainable mahogany logging practices!

Dear Mr. Holliman,

Please do NOT buy mahogany from the rainforests of Peru until illegal and unsustainable logging practices there are ended. International agreements were supposed to stop these practices in Peru, but without a clear message from U.S. manufacturers, these agreements will not work.

Most of the South American mahogany entering the United States today comes from Peru, where even government officials acknowledge that illegal logging in protected areas is out of control. The main impetus for this logging--which devastates rainforest species and threatens some of the world's last indigenous people living in voluntary isolation--is the luxury market for mahogany in the United States.

Your company purchases mahogany from South America (for example, in the Henredon line, supplier of Ralph Lauren furniture). I strongly urge you to ensure that this mahogany does not come from Peru until a clear system is in place proving the origin of all of the mahogany coming from the country. Your customers should be able to trust that the furniture they buy and enjoy does not leave a trail of destruction in the Peruvian Amazon.

I will join many concerned consumers in closely following your actions in this vital matter.

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