Responding to rising legal risks in the food supply chain

The document outlines a rising wave of legal actions and regulatory requirements in the food supply chain, specifically in the U.S. and EU. It highlights the growth of climate-related litigation, the risk of import bans due to deforestation and forced labour, and the gap in climate expertise among corporate board members. To mitigate these risks, the text suggests developing legal repositories, increasing on-the-ground resources, and utilizing risk assessment toolkits from WWF and WBCSD.

• Food sector companies face significant legal liabilities and potential supply chain disruptions from import bans targeting forced labour and deforestation, such as the U.S. Forced Labor Import Ban (19 U.S.C 1307) and pending EU provisions on deforestation-free supply chains.
• Climate change-related litigation against companies has more than doubled since 2015, with the majority of cases filed in the U.S., EU, and Brazil, often involving actions occurring across various countries in the supply chain.
• Corporate reporting requirements are expanding through the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, SEC and federal contracting requirements in the U.S., and a global requirement for reporting impacts and dependencies on nature agreed at COP15.
• There is a significant gap in corporate governance expertise, with New York University research indicating that only 6-7% of board members at major companies possess the necessary climate expertise despite expanding board duties.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Responding to rising legal risks in the food supply chain. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/601/hj6jr5bki_WWF_one_pager__Stage_2_lzjPkmR.1_V2d.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Responding to rising legal risks in the food supply chain. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/601/hj6jr5bki_WWF_one_pager__Stage_2_lzjPkmR.1_V2d.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Responding to rising legal risks in the food supply chain |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/601/hj6jr5bki_WWF_one_pager__Stage_2_lzjPkmR.1_V2d.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndresponding, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Responding to rising legal risks in the food supply chain}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/601/hj6jr5bki_WWF_one_pager__Stage_2_lzjPkmR.1_V2d.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }