My name is Lauren Jones and I am a student at the University of Texas at Austin. I am studying international relations and global studies with a minor in Latin American Studies. My focus is on the environment, science, and technology. 

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I chose timber as my commodity to follow while walking around my apartment. I noticed almost all my furniture was from everyone's ready-to-assemble Swedish company, Ikea. Being an indebted college student while also conscious of my environmental footprint, Ikea furniture always seemed like a sound choice. The company market's themselves on affordability and sustainability. But how sustainable are Ikea's practices from production to consumption? By following the commodity, I discovered the truth behind the timber trade and if my daily items from my wooden spoons to my malm bed really did come from environmentally sustainable sources.