The European Union is one of the largest importers of commodities linked to deforestation, with more than 60% of the world’s cocoa and about 50% of its coffee going to Europe alone in 2016. Cocoa and coffee are two of seven agricultural commodities that resulted in over a quarter of global tree cover loss from 2001 to 2015.

A draft regulation can help prevent products that cause deforestation or forest degradation from entering the EU market — especially if policymakers strengthen the plan in a few key ways.
What Could the EU's Deforestation-free Products Regulation Achieve?

With the introduction of broad and innovative regulatory measures, the draft legislation sends an important signal to countries and companies involved in producing, importing and trading forest-risk commodities: The laws of major markets are finally catching up with the long-recognized need to decouple commodity production from deforestation. The EU proposal is not limited to illegal deforestation and degradation but targets all deforestation and degradation.

This ambitious regulation, aiming to reduce the EU’s international footprint on forests, would significantly help reduce greenhouse gas emissions — both within Europe and around the globe. It could also positively impact biodiversity, as well as promote sustainable production and consumption patterns. READ further from the source