It is vital that the recovery from COVID-19 helps us to build a greener, fairer and more resilient global economy. Protecting precious forest environments is central to tackling climate change, ensuring that people have secure livelihoods, and protecting the natural systems on which we all rely. Responsible businesses, civil organisations and governments are working with farmers and landowners to improve the sustainability of these supply chains and protect forests.
It seeks your view on whether the UK Government should introduce a new law designed to prevent forests and other important natural areas from being converted illegally into agricultural land. The law being proposing would require a relatively small number of larger businesses to ensure that the ‘forest risk’ commodities they use – commodities that can cause wide-scale deforestation – have been produced legally.
This consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs runs from 25 August until 5 October 2020.