The European Parliament has agreed on a
regulation to stop the worldwide deforestation of
rainforests. Products that contribute to the destruction of
rainforests through their production should no longer be
allowed to be imported into the EU in the future. With the
regulation on “deforestation-free supply chains,” the
Parliament wants to make companies more
accountable.
A soccer field every 90 seconds
– the tropical rainforest is being cut down rapidly.
Anyone who drinks a coffee in Lisbon, eats a steak in Berlin
or buys a leather jacket in Milan is (usually) unconsciously
supporting the destruction of rainforests. However, it is
often not apparent whether and to what extent a product
contributes to the deforestation of the rainforest. This is
to change in the future.
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The European
Parliament has now approved a tightening of the regulation
on “deforestation-free supply chains”. Products that
contribute to the destruction of the rainforest will no
longer be allowed to be sold in the EU.
Ban on
products that contribute to rainforest
deforestation
Soy, coffee, and beef: many everyday
products contribute to the destruction of the rainforest
through their production. Destruction typically starts at
the very beginning of the supply and production chains. In
Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Paraguay and Argentina, for
example, huge areas of rainforest are cleared for
agricultural use. For example, for the cultivation of soy,
coffee, cocoa or for cattle farming.
With the
regulation on “deforestation-free supply chains,” the EU
wants to make companies more accountable in the future. They
are to monitor their supply and production chains more
strictly and make them
transparent.
“THE FIGHT
AGAINST GLOBAL DEFORESTATION HAS REACHED A TURNING POINT. EU
CONSUMERS CAN REST ASSURED THAT THEY WON’T HAVE
DEFORESTATION IN THEIR SHOPPING CART.” DELARA BURKHARDT,
SOCIALIST MEP.
If the EU
Parliament has its way, goods such as soy, palm oil, beef,
coffee, cocoa, corn, or rubber should only be allowed to be
sold on the European market if they do not contribute to the
destruction of the rainforest.
EU-Parliament tightens
up the Commission’s proposal
Originally, the law
was to apply to beef, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy and
tropical timber. The EU Commission proposed this at the
beginning of the year. The EU Parliament has now agreed to
extend it to corn, rubber and other types of meat.
Forest-like areas such as savannahs and steppes are to be
covered by the regulation as well.
In addition to
companies, financial institutions are also to be included in
the responsibility. In this way, the parliament wants to
prevent investments in companies that contribute to
deforestation.
However, the final version of the
regulation will probably not be known until after the
negotiations between the Council, the Commission, and the
Parliament.
420 million hectares of forest destroyed
by deforestation – An area larger than the EU
To
cater to high coffee consumption in Germany, Italy, and the
USA, forest areas in Vietnam are cleared. Rainforests in
Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Ivory Coast are being
burned down for soybeans, palm oil and timber – and areas
in Ghana and the Ivory Coast are being cleared for cocoa. In
short, the rich industrial nations promote destruction
through their consumption.
China (24 percent) is by
far the largest contributor to rainforest deforestation,
followed by the EU (16 percent), India (9 percent) and the
U.S. (7 percent). Norway,
in contrast, banned products that contribute to
deforestation of the rainforest in
2020.
ACCORDING TO THE FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
(FAO),
APPROXIMATELY 420 MILLION HECTARES OF FOREST WERE CLEARED
WORLDWIDE BETWEEN 1990 AND 2020. AN AREA LARGER THAN THE
EUROPEAN UNION.
Within the
EU, Germany is the leader in “imported deforestation,”
followed by Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the
Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Poland. Why is
deforestation imported?
Imported deforestation: rich
industrialized nations as perpetrators of deforestation of
rainforests
Deforestation of rainforests is mostly
not done in the interest or for the benefit of the affected
population, but is driven by the demand of the rich
industrial nations. In particular, the European hunger for
meat leads to the clearing of huge areas of rainforest in
South America and Southeast Asia. For the rearing of cattle
and for the cultivation of fodder, huge areas are
needed.
Rainforests in Brazil, Madagascar,
Indonesia, and the Ivory Coast are being burned down for
soybeans, palm oil and timber. (photo: Manaus AM under CC2
A2.0-G)
Rainforest destruction is an
environmental disaster with devastating consequences for the
entire world
The deforestation of rainforests has
devastating consequences for the world community. Entire
ecosystems, including the water cycle, are in danger of
collapsing. For instance, this is the case in the Cerrado
region of Brazil, where large areas have been cleared for
soybean cultivation.
The forest regulates our climate
and provides us with oxygen and food. It forms the
existential basis of life for more than 1.6 billion people.
The destruction is not only an environmental disaster, but
also a massive violation of human rights. This is because of
the cultivation or grazing areas are often snatched from
indigenous population groups. The (sometimes illegal)
expropriation robs these people of their livelihood, Burkhardt
continued.
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