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

Friends of the Earth US evaluates the Biden-Harris administration's 6-point framework to reduce US imports of deforestation-linked commodities. The analysis highlights the role of seven forest risk commodities—palm oil, beef, soy, coffee, cocoa, rubber, and corn—and argues that the US must adopt a holistic approach to combat illegal deforestation, which is often linked to human rights abuses and land grabbing. The organization recommends the creation of a public, transparent federal due diligence procedure independent of third-party certification, the use of Earth-observation data, and coordination with the European Union's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). It also advocates for the passage of the federal FOREST Act and contributions to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund.

• 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 one-third of this exposure, with more than 95% imported from Indonesia, while cattle products from Brazil, Australia, and Mexico account for nearly a third.
• Illegal deforestation is closely linked to human rights violations, including the disregard for land tenure, community land rights, and the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), often resulting in land grabbing and abuses against Environmental Human Rights defenders.
• To ensure transparency and high standards of land management, the US should develop a federal due diligence procedure that is independent of third-party certification schemes and avoids loopholes such as offsets or exemptions for specific forest types.
• The US government can utilize existing research and Earth-observation data to identify high-risk businesses and areas, specifically mentioning the Brazilian Cerrado, Africa’s Congo Basin, and the Global South.
• The analysis recommends that the US support the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (created at COP16 in November 2024) and coordinate its efforts with the European Union's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

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} }