Friends of the Earth U.S. Analysis on the Biden Administration’s Deforestation Policy Framework

Friends of the Earth U.S. analyzes the Biden-Harris administration's 6-point policy framework aimed at reducing U.S. imports of products linked to deforestation. While commending the framework's direction, the organization advocates for a holistic approach to illegal deforestation, the establishment of a public due diligence system independent of third-party certifications, and the passage of the federal FOREST Act.

• The United States is exposed to tropical and subtropical deforestation through the import of seven forest risk commodities: palm oil, beef, soy, coffee, cocoa, rubber, and corn. Palm oil accounts for over a third of this exposure, with more than 95% imported from Indonesia, while cattle products from Brazil, Australia, and Mexico account for nearly a third.
• Friends of the Earth argues that focusing solely on illegal deforestation is challenging because proving illegality in the agribusiness sector is difficult. They advocate for a holistic approach to combat corruption and the abuse of legal systems, noting that illegal deforestation is linked to human rights violations, including the denial of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and land grabbing.
• To ensure transparency and high standards of land management, Friends of the Earth recommends that the U.S. develop a federal due diligence procedure independent of third-party certification schemes. They argue that private sector systems must avoid conflicts of interest with the agribusiness sector and that there should be no loopholes, such as offsets, that allow forests to be cut if compensated elsewhere.
• The organization supports the passage of the federal FOREST Act to eliminate U.S. exposure to commodities from illegally deforested land and cut deforestation from government spending. They also suggest the U.S. contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund created at COP16 in November 2024 to support sustainable forest and land management.

APA

Fox, A. (2024). Friends of the Earth U.S. Analysis on the Biden Administration’s Deforestation Policy Framework. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/blog/foeus-biden-deforestation-framework/

Chicago

Fox, Audrey. Friends of the Earth U.S. Analysis on the Biden Administration’s Deforestation Policy Framework. Friends of the Earth, 2024. https://foe.org/blog/foeus-biden-deforestation-framework/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fox |first1=Audrey |title=Friends of the Earth U.S. Analysis on the Biden Administration’s Deforestation Policy Framework |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=18 December 2024 |url=https://foe.org/blog/foeus-biden-deforestation-framework/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fox2024friends, author = {Fox, Audrey}, title = {{Friends of the Earth U.S. Analysis on the Biden Administration’s Deforestation Policy Framework}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://foe.org/blog/foeus-biden-deforestation-framework/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }