The level of consumption by the Portuguese could lead to the destruction of 2,700 hectares of forests every year in different regions of the world to produce products that are exported to Portugal, a study published on Wednesday indicates.
A study released by four associations on Wednesday found that imports from European Union (EU) countries continue to contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in parts of the world.
The associations cite the European Commission, which estimates that imports for EU consumption contribute to “around 10% of global deforestation, estimated at more than two billion hectares per year.”
At this rate, the associations add, “this could lead to the destruction of about 248 thousand hectares of forest per year by 2030.”
The associations recall that more than 90% of global deforestation is caused by the expansion of agriculture to produce products such as cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, corn and timber.
Between 2015 and 2020, an area of forest larger than the size of Portugal was lost every year, according to a study by Trase, an organization created in 2015 that aims to make agricultural trade more transparent.
The deforestation risk associated with agricultural imports and exports is estimated by Trase at around 190,500 hectares per year (averaged over the period 2019-2021), “corresponding to 19% of the tropical deforestation embedded in imports of primary agricultural products.”
According to associations, in Portugal the risk of deforestation linked to consumption exceeds 2,700 hectares per year, most of which is linked to imports from Brazil (35%).
Imports from Portugal could contribute to the deforestation of 950 hectares of forest in Brazil per year, according to a study that lists coffee as the top commodity at risk, accounting for 23.8% of all deforestation linked to imports from the country between 2019 and 2021, in Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Vietnam.
“Each Portuguese person could contribute to the deforestation of more than 60 hectares of forests every year through coffee consumption, with Portugal among the top five countries with the highest impact per capita,” says the document, published on Wednesday.
The associations recall that the European Deforestation Free Products Regulation (EUDR), designed to prevent products linked to deforestation from entering and leaving the EU market, entered into force in 2023, and next year the rules will be tightened and supply chains will become more transparent.
The four associations note that some countries and members of the European Parliament have expressed reservations about the application of the regulation, and warn that delaying the application of EUDR creates “significant risks”, including continued environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
They say the delay could create market uncertainty and weaken the fight against deforestation.
“Supporting the immediate implementation of EUDR is critical to protecting vulnerable ecosystems, promoting sustainable business practices and strengthening global supply chains,” the associations say.
The document was signed by the environmental associations Zero and ANP/WWF, the consumer protection association DECO and TROCA – the Platform for Fair International Trade.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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