Search Climate Insights Directory

This report examines the potential of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to reduce the European Union's global deforestation, emissions, and biodiversity footprint associated with seven specific forest-risk commodities.

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.

This policy brief evaluates progress toward the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) goal of eliminating deforestation from agricultural commodities. It reports that while commodity-driven deforestation rates have declined since a 2016 peak, the 2020 target for ending agriculture-driven deforestation was not met, and current rates remain similar to those seen before 2014.

This technical annex assesses progress toward the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Goal 2, which aims to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodity production (palm oil, soy, paper, and beef) by 2020. The report finds that current efforts by governments and companies are insufficient to meet this target, noting a stagnation in new corporate commitments and significant gaps in reporting, transparency, and the inclusion of indirect suppliers.

The 2018 NYDF Progress Assessment finds that while corporate commitments to deforestation-free supply chains are increasing—particularly in palm oil and timber—they remain highly variable in ambition and scope. Traceability systems are improving, and new jurisdictional initiatives in Brazil and Indonesia show promise, but financial institutions lag in addressing portfolio risks. Direct data on deforestation reduction is currently lacking, though new tools like Trase and Global Forest Watch–Commodities are being developed to fill this gap.

The 2016 Goal 2 Assessment Report evaluates progress toward eliminating deforestation from agricultural commodity supply chains, specifically palm oil, soy, cattle, and wood products. While corporate pledges are increasing, the report finds a significant gap between high-level commitments and operational implementation, particularly in the cattle and soy sectors. It emphasizes that while downstream companies in Europe and North America lead in pledging, the most critical impact comes from upstream producers in deforestation hotspots like Brazil and Indonesia. The report concludes that global data linking these corporate efforts to actual reductions in deforestation is currently unavailable.

This executive summary assesses progress toward Goal 2 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which aims to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodity supply chains by 2020. The report finds that while corporate commitments are increasing—particularly for palm oil and wood products—implementation remains inconsistent, with significant gaps in time-bound actionable plans, traceability to the production level, and compliance reporting. The report highlights that the majority of tropical deforestation is concentrated in Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, and Paraguay, making targeted action in these countries critical.

This technical annex assesses progress toward Goal 2 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which aims to eliminate deforestation from the production of agricultural commodities—specifically palm oil, soy, paper, and beef—by 2020. The report uses market share of certified commodities and the number of corporate and governmental commitments as proxy indicators for progress, noting significant data gaps and varying levels of ambition across different sectors.

This research paper evaluates the relative contributions of agricultural output prices and conservation policies to the reduction of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2002 and 2009. Using a panel of 380 municipalities, the authors find that while agricultural prices drive deforestation, conservation policies implemented in 2004 and 2008 significantly curbed forest clearings without negatively impacting local GDP or population trends.

This briefing introduces Transformative Transparency, an online information and decision-support platform developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Global Canopy Programme (GCP). The platform aims to increase sustainability in agricultural supply chains by using production, trade, and customs data to map the flow of commodities from production landscapes to consumer countries, identifying the actors and risks involved.

The 2020 Goal 2 Assessment finds that supply chain efforts failed to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodity production by 2020, noting that while some sector-specific progress exists in Southeast Asia, global impacts remain difficult to link to company initiatives.

The New York Declaration on Forests is a statement of commitment to slow, halt, and reverse global forest loss to safeguard biodiversity and limit global warming to 2°C. The signatories pledge specific targets for reducing natural forest loss, eliminating deforestation from agricultural commodities, and restoring degraded landscapes by 2020 and 2030.