WFTO-Europe’s Feedback to the European Commission’s Roadmap on Deforestation

On January 15th, WFTO-Europe submitted feedback for the European Commission’s Roadmap on “Deforestation and Forest Degradation” stressing poverty as a root cause for marginalised producer communities of products like coffee and cocoa to clear forest to increase land for cultivation.

Further, we called for the European Commission to include in its policies against deforestation legally binding measures, instead of only voluntary measures that are often much less effective in addressing the issues and bringing change in corporate malpractices. In particular, we have – together with the FTAO, Fern and other Civil Society Organisations – called for the implementation of Human Rights Due Diligence legislation also in this area, which would be the best means towards mitigating the issue of deforestation while at the same time safe-guarding the rights and livelihoods of the most vulnerable groups in international supply chains that contribute to deforestation and forest degradation.

You can read our feedback submitted to the Commission here.