Europe is the second largest buyer of soy, beef, palm oil, cocoa and coffee. These are often manufactured on an industrial scale, which involves cutting down forests. The European Union has now introduced measures to limit EU-driven deforestation.
The Regulation sets mandatory due diligence rules for companies that want to place the commodities on the EU market with the aim to ensure that only deforestation-free and legal products enter the EU market. Importers of food and some derived products will have to prove that their items are grown only on existing agricultural land. In the first instance this means that these products entering the market have to be traceable so their origin is clear.
The Commission will use a benchmarking system to assess countries and their level of risk of deforestation and forest degradation. European member states are responsible for the checks.