Tell the EU to stand firm against deforestation!

To: the EU Commission, the EU Parliament, the EU Council of Ministers and the governments of the EU Member States

“Lobby groups are up in arms to stop the new EU regulation for deforestation-free products from taking effect in 2025. The EU must not give in.”

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Background of the EU Regulation

The European Parliament cites data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the reasons for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). It estimates that between 1990 and 2020, 420 million hectares of forest – an area larger than the European Union – were lost worldwide.

Every year, an additional 10 million hectares of forest are destroyed globally, 90 percent of which is caused by the expansion of cattle grazing and industrial farming areas.

However, the actual numbers are much higher: Many millions of hectares of forest are severely degraded every year by industrial logging and arson. Further forest areas are converted into industrial wood plantations such as eucalyptus monocultures. The FAO wrongly does not consider these actions to constitute forest loss.

In its legislation, the EU also takes into account the important role that forests play in the fight against climate change and the preservation of biodiversity. Forests store large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and are home to a large proportion of the world’s biodiversity. According to the EU, deforestation alone is responsible for 11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The products covered by the regulation and what companies need to do

The new regulation imposes business due diligence obligations on trade in timber, coffee, cocoa, rubber, palm oil, cattle and soy, as well as products derived from them, which are listed in Annex I to the regulation. They may only be imported, marketed in Europe, or exported if they are free from deforestation and do not damage forests. This means that the products may not have been produced on areas where forests have been cut down or degraded since December 31, 2020. The regulation applies to forests worldwide, including those in Europe.

In addition, the raw materials and products must be produced in compliance with the laws of the country of origin and with respect for human rights. The companies must confirm the fulfillment of their due diligence obligations and compliance with the regulation in a due diligence declaration. The regulation will apply to large and medium-sized companies from January 1, 2025, and will also come into force for small companies in the second half of the year.

Massive lobbying pressure from all sides

The situation of forests worldwide is dramatic, and urgent action must be taken to combat ongoing deforestation. But for months now, the European Commission has been inundated with requests from business and political interest groups demanding that the implementation of the regulation be postponed.

These include the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries, the EuroCommerce trade association, and a coalition of ten German industry associations. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) has strongly criticized the regulation and is calling for it to be dropped in a position paper.

The European People’s Party (EPP), which is made up of conservative member parties in the European Union, is calling for the regulation to be postponed. According to Euractiv, German MEP Peter Liese is leading the resistance against the impending implementation of the law, calling it a “bureaucratic monster”.

The agriculture ministers of 20 of the 27 EU member states, including Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Poland and Sweden, support proposals for revising the regulation and introducing it at a later date.

The German Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, is calling for the start of application of the regulation to be postponed until July 1, 2025. “Companies need sufficient time to prepare,” he said. From Rainforest Rescue’s perspective, this argument does not hold water, given that it has been deemed completely unacceptable for some time for European companies to purchase products linked to rainforest clearing or those produced in violation of local laws or human rights.

Countries such as Brazil, Canada, the United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia have also spoken out against the EU regulation. Among other things, they argue that it is impossible for exporters to prepare adequately and that uncertainties remain.

Brazil’s government criticized the EU regulation as protectionist and threatened to file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Indonesian government calls the EUDR discriminatory, fearing losses as the world’s largest palm oil producer. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs even spoke of ‘regulatory imperialism’. At least 20 million hectares of rainforest have been cleared in the Southeast Asian country for oil palm plantations. Palm oil is one of Indonesia’s most important exports to the EU. Negotiations on the CEPA free trade agreement between the EU and Indonesia also seem to have stalled due to the EUDR.

From South America, the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS) – made up of the agriculture ministers of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay with the objective of “coordinating regional measures” – is demanding carte blanche for further deforestation. The politicians criticize the attitude of European authorities, who in their opinion style themselves as “champions of environmental protection”.

Can South America continue to clear forest?

In most South American countries, deforestation rates remains alarmingly high. Yet CAS is trying to prevent the application of the EU regulation with flimsy arguments, claiming the legislation was “not scientifically sound”, and asserting that South American CAS member countries had “developed sustainable production systems”.

CAS refers particularly to soy supposedly grown sustainably, even though it remains one of the main drivers of deforestation in South America. In addition, it is almost exclusively genetically modified soy, the cultivation of which requires the spraying of vast amounts of herbicides and pesticides, a practice that is neither environmentally friendly nor socially acceptable.

Exporters and companies from outside the EU also cite technical concerns. As one of the foundations for the implementation of the regulation, the EU’s Joint Research Centre has created extensive databases with land use maps, satellite images, etc. and is relying on artificial intelligence. The companies question whether the analytical tools provided by the EU are sufficient or whether they could provide false information. Other concerns that have been raised relate to data protection.

To: the EU Commission, the EU Parliament, the EU Council of Ministers and the governments of the EU Member States

Ladies and Gentlemen,

10 million hectares of forests are cut down around the world every year. 90 percent of this is caused by the expansion of agricultural pasture and cropland.

The forests in large parts of South America are currently burning again because the agricultural industry is creating space for cattle and soy monocultures. 

Citizens in Europe, but also many people around the world, are calling for a stop to deforestation. They do not want to consume products for which forests are cleared and human rights are violated.

We therefore call on you to apply the new EU Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) as decided from January 2025.

DO NOT give in to pressure from industry and trade interest groups or from governments in many countries demanding that the Regulation be watered down or its application delayed.

Yours faithfully,

The issue – our appetite for meat

Most people in rich countries consider meat to be essential to a good meal. That holds especially true for Americans, who each consumed 90 kilograms of meat in 2014 – in the same year, the global average was 34 kilograms. There are 19 billion chickens, 1.4 billion cows, 1 billion pigs and 1 billion sheep on the planet at any given time – that’s three head of livestock for every person.

Maintaining such a huge livestock population has a very high price: 26 percent of the world’s ice-free land is used for livestock grazing and 33 percent of the world’s cropland is dedicated to growing livestock feed. Instead of feeding humans, a significant share of the world’s wheat, corn, barley and soybeans is thus used to raise livestock. Soybean meal is the largest source of protein animal feed in the world, and the areas needed for its production are expanding into fragile ecosystems such as the Brazilian Cerrado and the Amazon.

The impact – deforestation, monocultures, climate change

Landscapes once covered by rainforest and savannah are now marked by endless industrial agriculture spaces. More than 75 million hectares are devoted to growing soy – an area three times the size of the United Kingdom. Indigenous people are frequently displaced when their forests are bulldozed or torched, and those that remain are often in grave danger due to pesticide exposure: Roundup-Ready Monsanto GMO soybean plants are grown on 31 to 38 percent of the total planted area in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, an herbicide that is suspected of causing cancer and damaging human DNA.

Producing meat has a profound impact on the climate: with methane from bovine stomachs, carbon released by deforestation and fossil-fueled machinery, and nitrous oxide released by synthetic fertilizer, animal agriculture accounts for 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The solution – plant power and planned indulgences

Our food choices have a direct impact on the future of the rainforests: the animal products we eat account for 72 percent of all food-related greenhouse gas emissions. Their production also requires many times more farmland than plant products for human consumption.

Here is how you can help protect your health, the environment and the climate:

1. Eat alternatives to meat and dairy products: Seitan steaks, lupin spreads, soy milk and other tasty and nutritious alternatives to animal products can be found in virtually any supermarket.
2. If you must eat meat, make it an occasional treat: If you are not ready to give up meat entirely, reduce your consumption as much as possible and make meat a planned indulgence. Choosing organic meat can help further reduce the environmental impact of your diet.
3. Say yes to soy products: Only about two percent of the world's soy crop is processed into tofu, soy yogurt and similar products. Soy for human consumption is mostly grown in Europe and does not drive deforestation.
4. Stop food waste: Consumers in North America and Europe each waste between 95 and 110 kg of food a year – much of it meat. Planning your grocery shopping with care can literally save lives.
5. Speak out: Tens of thousands have taken part in street protests such as the March Against Monsanto to pressure policymakers and advocate forms of agriculture that take human health, animal welfare and climate protection into account. Taking part in online petitions and writing to your elected representatives can also make a real difference.