DOCSLIB.ORG

Deforestation and Social Risks in the Uk's Commodity

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Deforestation and Social Risks in the Uk's Commodity 1 RISKY BUSINESS WORKING TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND RISKS TO NATURAL CAPITAL DEFORESTATION AND SOCIAL RISKS IN THE UK’S COMMODITY SUPPLY CHAINS Lead authors: Steve Jennings, Richard Sheane and Catherine McCosker This report sets out research commissioned by WWF and the RSPB, carried out by consultancy 3Keel. It calculates the volume and source of UK imports (from 2011-15) of seven key forest-risk commodities: beef and leather, cocoa, palm oil, pulp and paper, rubber, soy, and timber. This data is then used to estimate the location and scale of the land footprint created by UK consumption of these commodities, and explores the risks associated with this footprint. The research uses publicly available data and sets out the assumptions made in estimating the footprint and risks. The findings of this research are summarised and analysed in a separate report, which also includes recommendations on what UK government, companies and citizens can do to address the risks. Risky Business: Understanding the UK’s overseas footprint for deforestation-risk commodities Available at: wwf.org.uk/riskybusiness Reports published October 2017. Contents 1 Executive summary ........................................................................................... 2 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5 2.1 About this document ............................................................................................ 6 3 Overview of method .......................................................................................... 7 3.1 Quantifying the UK’s imports ............................................................................... 7 3.2 Estimating the provenance of the UK’s imports ................................................. 7 3.3 Estimating the footprint of the UK’s imports of commodities ........................... 8 3.4 Risk index .............................................................................................................. 9 3.5 Data challenges..................................................................................................... 9 4 Soy .................................................................................................................... 11 4.1 Overview of production, trade and use ............................................................. 11 4.2 Risk analysis ....................................................................................................... 21 5 Palm oil ............................................................................................................. 23 5.1 Overview of production, trade and use ............................................................. 23 5.2 Risk analysis ....................................................................................................... 33 6 Timber ............................................................................................................... 35 6.1 Overview of production, trade and use ............................................................. 35 6.2 Risk analysis ....................................................................................................... 44 7 Pulp and paper ................................................................................................. 47 7.1 Overview of production, trade and use ............................................................. 47 7.2 Risk analysis ....................................................................................................... 55 8 Beef and leather ............................................................................................... 56 8.1 Overview of production, trade and use ............................................................. 56 8.2 Risk analysis ....................................................................................................... 67 9 Natural rubber .................................................................................................. 72 9.1 Overview of production, trade and use ............................................................. 72 9.2 Risk analysis ....................................................................................................... 81 10 Cocoa ............................................................................................................ 83 10.1 Overview of production, trade and use ............................................................. 83 10.2 Risk analysis ....................................................................................................... 89 11 The UK’s forest-risk commodity land footprint ......................................... 91 12 Deforestation risk index............................................................................... 93 12.1 Overview of deforestation risk index ................................................................. 93 12.2 Country risk rating .............................................................................................. 95 12.3 Commodity risk profiles ..................................................................................... 96 13 Conclusions ................................................................................................ 106 1 1 Executive summary Please note: The research presented in this report underpins policy and business recommendations developed by WWF and RSPB (available separately). As such, this is a technical report that focuses on reporting the data, methods and assumptions used to develop commodity/country risk analyses. Between 1990 and 2015, the world lost 129 million hectares of forest. Deforestation, in the tropics at least, is largely driven by commercial agriculture and forestry, including such industries as soy, palm oil, timber, pulp & paper, beef & leather, rubber, and cocoa. The production of these commodities is an important source of income and employment in many communities, but can also be associated with serious social issues and abuses, including appropriation of land from communities and indigenous groups, and forced and child labour. The UK imports significant quantities of all of the above commodities, and therefore puts people and forests at risk. This study estimates the quantities of these commodities that are imported, their provenance and the land footprint associated with their production. The research presented here estimates that the total land area that was required to supply the UK’s demand for soy, palm oil, pulp & paper, timber, beef & leather, rubber and cocoa was, on average, over 13.6 million hectares per year between 2011 and 2015. This is equivalent to a land area over half the size of the UK, and over six times the size of Wales. Imports of beef and leather have the largest land footprints, followed by timber, soy and palm oil. The UK’s footprint of these commodities is concentrated in a relatively small number of countries across North America, South America, east Asia, southern and western Africa, Australia and the EU (Figure 1). Figure 1: Area of land required to supply the UK with forest-risk commodities from producer countries 2 Commodity imports are rarely traceable back to individual farms or plantations, and so the exact contribution of the UK – via its imports – to deforestation and social problems is unknown. It remains, however, a very real risk. We estimate this risk by rating major exporting countries according to the rate and extent of deforestation, the perceived rule of law and the labour rights conditions within those countries. The land footprint of the UK’s imports of the analysed commodities was then allocated to these risk ratings. Over 44% of the total land area required to satisfy the UK’s demand for these commodities was from countries rated high and very high risk (Figure 2). Looking at the profile of each specific commodity, at least half of the land footprint of the UK’s imports of beef and leather, soy, palm oil, cocoa and rubber was from countries rated as high risk or very high risk. Figure 2: The UK's land footprint for seven imported commodities according to risk category of producer countries Other & Unassigned Low Risk Very High 16% 1% Risk 23% Medium Low Risk 14% High Risk 21% Medium Risk 25% In brief, the risk rating captures the following characteristics of the commodities. Soy: High volumes of soy imports come from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay – countries that all have high deforestation and social risk. In the EU, 90% of all soy is used to feed livestock.1 There is modest progress on credible, transparent certification with high social and deforestation safeguards (Round Table on Responsible Soy – RTRS), but this accounted for less than 1% of global production in 2015,2 and little supply chain data transparency on certified imports. Greater uptake and reporting of RTRS-certified imports would undoubtedly reduce the risk further. Palm oil: This is imported in high volumes from Indonesia, Malaysia, and to a lesser extent Papua New Guinea – countries that possess high deforestation and social risk. Strong progress on certification (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – RSPO) partially ameliorates the risk. The UK statement on sustainable production of palm oil in October 2012 and the reporting of certified imports or major imports of palm oil provided both a stimulus for 1 http://www.bothends.org/uploaded_files/document/Soy_Barometer2014_ENG.pdf 2 http://www.responsiblesoy.org/mercado/volumenes-y-productores-certificados/?lang=en 3
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis)
    PALM S Rival & Levang: Oil Palm Vol. 59(1) 2015 ALAIN RIVAL The Oil Palm Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche (Elaeis Agronomique pour le Développement guineensis ): Jakarta, Indonesia [email protected] Research AND Challenges PATRICE LEVANG Institut de Recherche pour Beyond le Développement Yaoundé, Cameroon Controversies [email protected] Scientists certainly have a part to play in the debate over oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) cultivation, which has captured and polarized public opinion, kindled and undoubtedly shaped by the media. How can this palm be viewed as a “miracle plant” by both the agro-food industry in the North and farmers in the tropical zone, but a serious ecological threat by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) campaigning for the environment or the rights of indigenous peoples? The time has come to move on from this biased and often irrational debate, which is rooted in topical issues of contemporary society in the North, such as junk food, biodiversity, energy policy and ethical consumption. One of the reasons the public has developed as nuclear energy, genetically modified crops such fixed ideas is that there has been a lack or shale gas) that is causing controversy but an of accurate information on the sector and its entire agrom-food sector that has come to actors and a clear-headed analysis of what is symbolize the conflict between the at stake. We point out that the production and conservation of natural spaces and de- processing of palm oil are part of a complex velopment. Consumers, elected representatives globalized agrom-industrial sector shared by and scientists are finally forced to take sides for multiple actors and stakeholders with often or against palm oil, with no room for ifs and conflicting interests.
    [Show full text]
  • Desertification and Deforestation in Africa - R
    LAND USE, LAND COVER AND SOIL SCIENCES – Vol. V – Desertification and Deforestation in Africa - R. Penny DESERTIFICATION AND DEFORESTATION IN AFRICA R. Penny Environmental and Developmental Consultant/Practitioner, Cape Town, South Africa Keywords: arid, semi-arid, dry sub-humid, drought, drylands, land degradation, land tenure, sustainability Contents 1. Introduction 2. Global Context 3. Land Degradation in Africa Today 3.1. Geographical Regions 3.2. Socio-Economic Aspects 4. Causes and Consequences 4.1. Drought and Other Disasters 4.2. Water Quality and Availability 4.3. Loss of Vegetative Cover 4.4. Loss of Soil Fertility 4.5. Poverty and Population 4.6. Effect of Land Tenure 4.7. Health 5. Combating Desertification 5.1. Past Trends 5.2. Current Attempts to Combat Desertification 5.3. Synergy of the Three Sustainable Development Conventions 5.4. The Role of Science and Technology in Combating Desertification 5.5. Synergy in Environmental Policy Development 6. Future Perspectives: The Way Forward 7. Conclusions Glossary Bibliography Biographical Sketch Summary UNESCO – EOLSS Africa is particularly vulnerable to desertification. Two thirds of the continent consists of desert or drylands.SAMPLE The obvious causes of desertificatiCHAPTERSon and deforestation consist of major ecosystem changes, such as land conversion for various purposes, over- dependence on natural resources and several forms of unsustainable land use. However, the issue of desertification is inseparable from social problems such as poverty and land tenure issues. Politics, war and national disasters affect the movements of people and thus impact on the land. International trade policies as well play a part in land management and/or exploitation.
    [Show full text]
  • Nölken Palm(Kernel)Oil-Statement
    2 Nölken Palm oil and palm kernel oil Statement Palm oil is one of the most important vegetable oils as well as the displacement of indigenous people and in the world and is used in many consumer goods. the destruction of biodiversity. During the extraction of palm oil from the fruit, it is also possible to obtain palm kernel oil. This oil from For the variety of care and cosmetics products which palm kernel is a key ingredient for the production of we produce, we use raw materials such as surfactants washing and cleaning substances, e.g. for cosmetics and or emulsifiers based on renewable raw materials with detergents. Palm oil is also used in the food industry and palm kernel oil for example as a primary material. These as fuels or combustibles. However, the cultivation of oil raw materials are identified as palm oil or palm kernel palms (Elaeis guineensis) is often criticised because the oil derivatives. As a result of their productivity, palm production of palm oil is still associated with negative kernel oil derivatives are best suited to the production effects such as the clearance of rain forests, cultivation of cosmetic products. on peat soil with the emission of large amounts of CO2, Replacing palm kernel oil with other oils is not really a non-governmental organisations (i.e. WWF, Greenpea- solution. The shift to soy oil for example, the second ce) call not for an end to the use of palm (kernel) oil most important vegetable oil in the world, would then but for a transfer to a sustainable cultivation of palm cause problems in other countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Road Impact on Deforestation and Jaguar Habitat Loss in The
    ROAD IMPACT ON DEFORESTATION AND JAGUAR HABITAT LOSS IN THE MAYAN FOREST by Dalia Amor Conde Ovando University Program in Ecology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Norman L. Christensen, Supervisor ___________________________ Alexander Pfaff ___________________________ Dean L. Urban ___________________________ Randall A. Kramer Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University Program in Ecology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2008 ABSTRACT ROAD IMPACT ON DEFORESTATION AND JAGUAR HABITAT LOSS IN THE MAYAN FOREST by Dalia Amor Conde Ovando University Program in Ecology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Norman L. Christensen, Supervisor ___________________________ Alexander Pfaff ___________________________ Dean L. Urban ___________________________ Randall A. Kramer An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University Program in Ecology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2008 Copyright by Dalia Amor Conde Ovando 2008 Abstract The construction of roads, either as an economic tool or as necessity for the implementation of other infrastructure projects is increasing in the tropical forest worldwide. However, roads are one of the main deforestation drivers in the tropics. In this study we analyzed the impact of road investments on both deforestation and jaguar habitat loss, in the Mayan Forest. As well we used these results to forecast the impact of two road investments planned in the region. Our results show that roads are the single deforestation driver in low developed areas, whether many other drivers play and important role in high developed areas. In the short term, the impact of a road in a low developed area is lower than in a road in a high developed area, which could be the result of the lag effect between road construction and forest colonization.
    [Show full text]
  • Hidden Deforestation in the Brazil - China Beef and Leather Trade 1
    Hidden deforestation in the Brazil - China beef and leather trade 1 Hidden deforestation in the Brazil - China beef and leather trade Christina MacFarquhar, Alex Morrice, Andre Vasconcelos August 2019 Key points: China is Brazil’s biggest export market for cattle products, • Cattle ranching is the leading direct driver of deforestation which are a major driver of deforestation and other native and other native vegetation clearance in Brazil, and some vegetation loss in Brazil. This brief identifies 43 companies international beef and leather supply chains are linked to worldwide that are highly exposed to deforestation risk through these impacts. the Brazil-China beef and leather trade, and which have significant potential to help reduce this risk. The brief shows • China (including Hong Kong) is Brazil’s biggest importer of which of these companies have published policies to address beef and leather, and many companies linked to this trade are deforestation risk related to these commodities. It also reveals exposed to deforestation risk. the supplier-buyer relationships between these companies, • We identify 43 companies globally that are particularly exposed and how their connections may mean even those buyers with to the deforestation risk associated with the Brazil-China beef commitments to reduce or end deforestation may not be able to and leather trade and have the potential to reduce these risks. meet them. It then makes recommendations for the next steps companies can take to address deforestation risk. • Most of these companies have not yet published sustainable sourcing policies to address this risk. The companies include cattle processors operating in Brazil, processors and manufacturers operating in China, and • Most appear unable to guarantee that their supply chains are manufacturers and retailers headquartered in Europe and the deforestation-free, because they, or a supplier, lack a strong United States of America (US).
    [Show full text]
  • Key Sustainability Issues in the Palm Oil Sector
    Key Sustainability Issues in the Palm Oil Sector A Discussion Paper for Multi-Stakeholders Consultations (commissioned by the World Bank Group) By Cheng Hai Teoh THE WORLD BANK Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this discussion draft do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank Group or its member governments. The World Bank Group does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this draft and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any consequence of their use. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this draft do not imply on the part of the World Bank Group any judgment on the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Table of Contents A. Introduction ................................................................................................... 2 Background ............................................................................................................ 2 Objectives .............................................................................................................. 2 Approach ............................................................................................................... 3 B. Overview of the Palm Oil Sector ..................................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 4 Development of the palm oil sector ..........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Palm Derivatives in the Baked Goods and Prepared Foods
    Sustainable Palm Derivatives in the Baked Goods and Prepared Foods A CPET Special Newsletter March 2016 The Purpose of this Special Newsletter This newsletter provides information and guidance to businesses and government departments on sourcing baked goods and prepared foods made with sustainable palm oil and palm kernel oil and their derivatives. It outlines the complexities in the palm oil supply chain, explains why sustainable palm oil and palm-based derivatives have been difficult to source in the past, and provides an overview of what manufacturers are currently doing to manufacture baked good and prepared foods made with sustainable and traceable palm oil. It also provides a quick guide to sourcing certified palm oil in food products. Introduction to Palm-based Derivative Supply Chain Palm oil and palm kernel oil are complex commodities due to the demand for a large number of fractions and derivatives of the oils. In fact, about 60% of the palm oil and palm kernel oil consumed globally is in the form of derivatives such as olein and stearin.1 The versatility of palm makes it an attractive commodity, but the supply chains for these derivatives are multi-layered and have been historically difficult to trace. Although traceability is improving, the derivatives can be challenging to source as sustainable. At the most basic level of the refining process, palm oil and palm kernel oil are split, fractionated, and separated into liquid palm olein and solid palm stearin at a ratio of 4:1. Further fractionation, hydrogenation, refining and blending can then be carried out to produce different oil derivatives with unique physical and chemical properties.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Palm Derivatives in Cleaning and Personal Care Products
    Sustainable Palm Derivatives in Cleaning and Personal Care Products A CPET Special Newsletter July 2015 The Purpose of this Special Newsletter This newsletter is meant to provide information and guidance to businesses and government departments on sourcing cleaning products and personal care products made with sustainable palm oil derivatives. It outlines the complexities in the derivatives supply chain, explains why sustainable palm-based derivatives have been difficult to source in the past, and provides a quick guide to sourcing certified derivatives. Introduction to Palm-based Derivative Supply Chain Palm oil and palm kernel oil are complex commodities because of the demand for a large number of fractions and derivatives of the oils. In fact, about 60% of the palm oil and palm kernel oil consumed globally is in the form of derivatives such as olein and stearin.1 The supply chains for these derivatives are multi-layered and have been historically difficult to trace. Although traceability is improving, the derivatives can be challenging to source as sustainable. Oleochemicals, which are produced from the fatty acid distillates that result from the refining process of palm oil and palm kernel oil, are typically used in the production of cleaning products and personal care products. Palm based oleochemicals have a diverse range of applications. In the past decade, many European manufacturers and traders have shifted towards the use of palm-derived oleochemicals (as opposed to petrochemicals or other plant based oleochemicals), due to the increase in the number of plants in Southeast Asia with access to palm feedstocks. The environmental and social repercussions of this shift in usage, and the parallel significant increase in oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia, have been dramatic, leading to deforestation, climate change, habitat loss, and disruptions to local communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Desertification and Agriculture
    BRIEFING Desertification and agriculture SUMMARY Desertification is a land degradation process that occurs in drylands. It affects the land's capacity to supply ecosystem services, such as producing food or hosting biodiversity, to mention the most well-known ones. Its drivers are related to both human activity and the climate, and depend on the specific context. More than 1 billion people in some 100 countries face some level of risk related to the effects of desertification. Climate change can further increase the risk of desertification for those regions of the world that may change into drylands for climatic reasons. Desertification is reversible, but that requires proper indicators to send out alerts about the potential risk of desertification while there is still time and scope for remedial action. However, issues related to the availability and comparability of data across various regions of the world pose big challenges when it comes to measuring and monitoring desertification processes. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN sustainable development goals provide a global framework for assessing desertification. The 2018 World Atlas of Desertification introduced the concept of 'convergence of evidence' to identify areas where multiple pressures cause land change processes relevant to land degradation, of which desertification is a striking example. Desertification involves many environmental and socio-economic aspects. It has many causes and triggers many consequences. A major cause is unsustainable agriculture, a major consequence is the threat to food production. To fully comprehend this two-way relationship requires to understand how agriculture affects land quality, what risks land degradation poses for agricultural production and to what extent a change in agricultural practices can reverse the trend.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Population Growth and Its Implications on the Use and Trends of Land Resources in Migori County, Kenya
    HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON THE USE AND TRENDS OF LAND RESOURCES IN MIGORI COUNTY, KENYA PAULINE TOLO OGOLA A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Environmental Studies (Agroforestry and Rural Development) in the School of Environmental Studies of Kenyatta University NOVEMBR, 2018 1 DEDICATION To my loving parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ogola, With long life He will satisfy you i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I am grateful to the Man above who gave me strength and health throughout this study. For sure, His goodness and Mercies are new every day. Secondly, I am greatly indebted to my supervisors Dr. Letema and Dr. Obade for their wise counsel and patience. Thirdly, I would like to convey my utmost gratitude to my parents and siblings for their moral support and prayers. Special thanks to my brother Stephen Ogeda for supporting me financially. Finally, I wish to express many thanks to my colleagues at the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development and friends who have offered their support in kind and deed. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION………………………………………………………………………… Error! Bookmark not defined. DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………………...i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………………………………...ii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………...vi LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………vii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS……………………………………………….viii ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………i x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………..1 1.1 Background to the Problem .........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • What Are the Major Causes of Desertification?
    What Are the Major Causesof Desertification? ‘Climatic variations’ and ‘Human activities’ can be regarded as relationship with development pressure on land by human the two main causes of desertification. activities which are one of the principal causes of Climatic variations: Climate change, drought, moisture loss on a desertification. The table below shows the population in global level drylands by each continent and as a percentage of the global Human activities: These include overgrazing, deforestation and population of the continent. It reveals a high ratio especially in removal of the natural vegetation cover（by taking too much fuel Africa and Asia. wood）, agricultural activities in the vulnerable ecosystems of There is a vicious circle by which when many people live in arid and semi-arid areas, which are thus strained beyond their the dryland areas, they put pressure on vulnerable land by their capacity. These activities are triggered by population growth, the agricultural practices and through their daily activities, and as a impact of the market economy, and poverty. result, they cause further land degradation. Population levels of the vulnerable drylands have a close 2 ▼ Main Causes of Soil Degradation by Region in Susceptible Drylands and Other Areas Degraded Land Area in the Dryland: 1,035.2 million ha 0.9% 0.3% 18.4% 41.5% 7.7 % Europe 11.4% 34.8% North 99.4 America million ha 32.1% 79.5 million ha 39.1% Asia 52.1% 5.4 26.1% 370.3 % million ha 11.5% 33.1% 30.1% South 16.9% 14.7% America 79.1 million ha 4.8% 5.5 40.7% Africa
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Development Overview 2009 Creating a Better Future Every Day Contents Highlights
    Sustainable Development Overview 2009 Creating a better future every day Contents Highlights 1 Introduction 2 Our business and brands 4 An overview of our impacts 6 Creating a better future every day 9 Progress on our commitments 10 Health and well- being 11 Nutrition Launched ambitious new vision to double the 14 Hygiene and well- being size of our business while reducing our overall environmental impacts across the entire value chain 17 Sustainable living 18 Sustainable agriculture % 21 Climate change 15 of our palm oil now sourced 24 Water sustainably via GreenPalm certifcates 27 Packaging % 30 Supporting economic 15 of the tea we use globally development now sourced from Rainforest ™ Alliance Certifed farms 34 External commentary 36 Our Sustainable Development Report Reduced environmental impacts of 37 Awards and recognition our manufacturing operations by 41%* for CO2 from energy, 65%* for water use and %* 73 for total waste, measured per tonne of production over 1995-2009 This Overview summarises our most signifcant impacts. Our online Sustainable Lifebuoy promoted Development Report is our principal means of reporting: Global Handwashing Day it sets out our policies and performance on the issues in 23 countries, covered in this Overview reaching millions of people as well as many others. See page 36 44% of our food portfolio now in line www.unilever.com/ sustainability with internationally accepted guidelines for saturated and trans fat, sugar and salt Launched global ‘Brush Day and Night’ campaign with FDI World Dental Federation Food industry sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 11th year running – the only company ever to have achieved this *2009 data is preliminary – see Footnote, page 35 Introduction 2009 was a good year for Unilever.
    [Show full text]