Demand for agricultural imports in the EU originating from outside the bloc generates 15% of global deforestation rates, with Ireland’s imports accounting for 2% of this footprint.
That’s according to a report published by Trace, an affiliate of the SEI (Stockholm Environment Institute) which is dedicated to deforestation transparency within agricultural trade.
The report indicates that on average, 190,500ha of land was deforested annually between 2019 and 2021 to sustain the production of EU imports.
It provides information on deforestation generated internationally by each member state, highlighting the countries and commodities most vulnerable to import-driven deforestation.
Deforestation
Cote d’Ivoire (38,000ha), Brazil (30,600ha) and Indonesia (22,000ha) comprise the top three countries globally whose EU-bound exports have resulted in the greatest levels of deforestation.
The analysis was commissioned ahead of new EU deforestation regulations (EUDR) which will come into effect on December 10, 2024.
The EUDR law aims to minimise the risk of forest degradation by banning the import and export of products linked to deforestation.
The EU is a large consumer and trader of commodities and products that contribute to deforestation.
‘Deforestation free’ will refer to all produce determined to have been grown on land that was not deforested after December 31, 2020.
It will be apply to seven primary commodities – cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood, as well as common derivatives like leather, chocolate, tyres and printed paper.
Cocoa remains the biggest source of deforestation while imports of beef account for 8.9% of the deforestation incurred in their countries of production.
The regulation will also apply to products grown domestically.
Report
While the research assessed the deforestation footprint of each EU member state in relation to direct imports, it also revealed stark individual differences between countries.
The Netherlands was the country with the largest amount of imports linked to deforestation accounting for 69,500ha, followed by Spain (24,200ha), Italy (22,600ha) and Germany (21,400ha).
However, the report acknowledged that the import figure for The Netherlands may be somewhat overstated as some goods may be exported again, given the position of Rotterdam port as a major trading gateway.
Ireland ranks 10th among EU countries, contributing to an average 2% of the collective deforestation footprint with 2,910ha deforested annually for direct imports.
However, examining the rate of deforestation per 1,000t of imported material, positions Ireland 6th with 0.26ha/kt, which is higher than the EU median of 0.14ha/kt.
The countries which Ireland imports the most amount of agri-food products from which contribute to higher rates of deforestation are Argentina, Brazil and Vietnam, particularly soy, maize and pepper products.
Despite a rise in demand for agricultural imports in Europe, a 35% fall in deforestation has been documented, most of which relates to the reduction in palm-oil-produced deforestation.