Corruption in the timber industry: challenges, intervention effectiveness and a future research agenda

Abstract

Corruption in the timber industry remains a critical barrier to sustainable forest management, threatening biodiversity, weakening governance systems and hindering progress toward SDG 12, SDG 15 and SDG 16. Despite global initiatives to combat illegal logging, important research gaps persist regarding the underlying drivers, forms, and mitigation strategies of timber-sector corruption. This systematic literature review synthesizes 45 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 from Web of Science and Scopus using PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The findings reveal that corruption is sustained through collusive networks involving public officials, timber traders and other actors, driven by weak institutions, inadequate enforcement, livelihood and income poverty, and fragmented governance structures. Common practices include bribery in permit allocation, fraudulent documentation, timber laundering, and regulatory capture across supply chains. The review evaluates the effectiveness and limitations of timber traceability technologies, certification systems, transparency initiatives, and cross-border cooperation as key anti-corruption interventions.