Europe is seriously behind on achieving deforestation-free soy, palm oil, and timber, among other commodities. Among the signatories of the Amsterdam Declaration, sustainable sourcing varies significantly, but one thing is for certain – we are not on track to achieve the 100% sustainable target by 2020. Government and private sector commitments in commodity supply chains are commendable, but simply insufficient for the challenge at hand.
The good news? Europe is a major import hub for deforestation-risk commodities, and an ambitious sourcing approach would not only improve conservation and promote economic development in producer countries, but enable the region to take the global lead in the battle against deforestation.
AlphaBeta is proud to have partnered IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative and partner organisations to produce a synthesis report on the urgency of action against commodity-driven deforestation for the International Sustainability Week. Signatories and partners of the Amsterdam Declaration will convene to take stock of progress and suggest concrete steps to accelerate performance on tackling deforestation in commodity supply chains.
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