Imported Deforestation: Understanding Switzerland's Overseas Footprint for Forest-Risk Commodities WWF-Switzerland

IMPORTED DEFORESTATION UNDERSTANDING SWITZERLAND’S OVERSEAS FOOTPRINT FOR FOREST-RISK COMMODITIES © Richard Carey / AdobeStock 2 IMPORTED DEFORESTATION IMPORTED DEFORESTATION 3 CONTENTS BACKGROUND ........................................................4 KEY FINDINGS FOR SWITZERLAND .................................5 RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................. 10 COMMODITY SPECIFIC FINDINGS ................................. 14 SOY ............................................................ 14 PALM OIL ...................................................... 18 COCOA ......................................................... 22 TIMBER, PULP & PAPER ..................................... 26 COFFEE ........................................................ 30 SUGARCANE................................................... 34 COCONUT ...................................................... 38 This report summarises findings of original research undertaken by 3Keel, commissioned by WWF-Switzerland; Authors: Dr Steve Jennings and Caitlin McCormack (3Keel), Romain Deveze (WWF Switzerland) OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY ................................... 42 Design: 3Keel Publication date: December 2020 The full report is available at www.wwf.ch/de/stories LIMITATIONS ....................................................... 43 4 IMPORTED DEFORESTATION IMPORTED DEFORESTATION 5 Area of overseas land required each year to supply Switzerland’s imports BACKGROUND of forest and agricultural commodities (annual average 2015-19) The demand for agricultural and forest commodities drives deforestation and habitat conversion in the SUGARCANE countries in which they are produced, contributing to 5,754 ha COCOA biodiversity loss greenhouse gas emissions, and human 317,711 ha COFFEE rights abuses. PALM OIL 166,068 ha More than 50% of global forest loss and land conversion 24,871 ha is attributable to the production of agricultural commodities and forestry products demanded by SOY consumers. Despite increasing initiatives including 160,755 ha COCONUT certification, corporate commitments and market 15,729 ha incentives aimed at halting the loss of forest and habitats, the rate of commodity-driven land use change does not appear to be declining, and the negative impacts on local people and nature continue1. TIMBER, PULP AND PAPER 1,545,465 ha KEY FINDINGS FOR SWITZERLAND Between 2015 and 2019, an area almost three times the size of Switzerland – 11.2 million hectares – was required High risk land footprints to meet Switzerland’s demand for just eight agricultural Of the commodities investigated here, by far the largest and forest commodities; cocoa, coconut, coffee, palm oil, land footprints for Switzerland are associated with imports pulp & paper, soy, sugarcane and timber. This is equivalent of forestry products – timber and pulp and paper – which to around half the area of Switzerland - or nearly twice its together had a land footprint of 1.5 million hectares. own forest area - each year. Although this land footprint Although the majority of this is in medium-low or low has not increased over the period, despite initiatives by risk countries like Sweden and Germany, some imports of government, industry and NGOs, it is also not declining. timber originate in China and some pulp and paper imports The footprint of commodities is the productive area in Brazil, both of which are high risk for deforestation and overseas that is required to supply Switzerland’s imports, human rights violations. based on average volumes of the commodities imported Switzerland’s share of the global production area is also into Switzerland each year (including raw materials, notably large for cocoa (3% of global cocoa production area) ingredients and finished products) and the average and coffee (2%), particularly when it is considered that production per hectare of the commodities in specific Switzerland accounts for just 0.1% of global population. countries, during the period 2015-2019. An overview of Almost one-quarter (22%) of Switzerland’s overseas the methodology, assumptions and limitations is given in land footprint is in countries at high or very-high risk of a dedicated section at the end of the report. deforestation, weak governance and poor labour standards. © Shutterstock / Rich Carey / WWF-Sweden 6 IMPORTED DEFORESTATION IMPORTED DEFORESTATION 7 This is particularly true for coffee, cocoa, soy and palm Overseas impact or major offices of several large international traders of our food supply chains. Taking actions to address the oil where between half and three-quarters of the import in agricultural and forest commodities and thus has a destruction of nature occurring as a result of overseas Despite growing focus from civil society on the overseas footprint is in high or very-high risk countries, and none greater impact and responsibility than consumption alone production of commodities is vital to protect wildlife, impact of Switzerland’s demand for agricultural and forest of the import volumes come from low risk countries. suggests. These volumes are only included within the habitats and local populations who depend on them, for The pathways by which deforestation occurs are complex products, the monitoring and mitigation of the overseas current study if they are imported into and/or consumed increasing resilience to climate change and to ensure the and depend on multiple factors. Tracing imported impacts of imported goods are not yet required by the within Switzerland. sustainable future of food production. commodities back to the specific parcel of land on which Swiss government. The output of this report is not intended to encourage This report provides an indication of the overall scale they were produced is also subject to uncertainties due The majority – an average of 65% - of the imports of these actors to try to avoid sourcing from high-risk areas – of Switzerland’s total overseas land footprint from eight to a lack of transparent trade information. However, with eight commodities are estimated to be for consumption as these will shift anyway – but instead to encourage commodities from 2015 to 2019, inclusive. It also indicates significant imports coming from countries in which there within Switzerland. The majority of the land footprint is engagement with suppliers and producers on ways to are high rates of deforestation, there is an unacceptably therefore driven by domestic demand rather than onward reduce the risk of deforestation in supply chains. the relative levels of risk of each of the commodities and high risk that Switzerland’s consumption of these eight trade. Switzerland also hosts corporate headquarters Circumstances like the Covid-19 pandemic and an indication of where the Swiss government, businesses commodities contributes to the conversion and clearance intensifying impacts of climate change have increased and civil society might target their efforts to have most of forests for agriculture or logging operations. awareness of the fragility and global inter-connectedness impact in reducing their deforestation footprint overseas. SPECIAL NOTE Greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from land use change associated with Switzerland’s imports, by commodity The greenhouse gas emissions associated with habitat ON CERTIFICATION conversion for Switzerland’s imports of agricultural Credible standard and certification schemes, commodities amounted to an estimated three million when effectively implemented, remain an 1,802,389 tonnes CO eq per year between 2015-19. This is equivalent 2 important tool to support sustainable production tonnes CO2eq to approximately 9% of Switzerland’s national emissions of commodities: they help promote better SOY each year2. Soy imports were by far the largest contributor, practices at farm level, strengthen collaboration accounting for around 60% of annual emissions on average, of stakeholders and incentivise investments in 101,539 followed by cocoa which accounted for almost one third of production areas. tonnes CO2eq emissions on average per year. The figures do not include In order to achieve impact at scale, WWF PALM OIL emissions associated with forest products – timber and believe that certification must be complemented pulp and paper – which comprise a considerable land (depending on the context) with measures like: 879,335 footprint and will therefore add significantly to emissions. → Strengthening national regulation and/or tonnes CO2eq local law enforcement; COCOA → Facilitating access for remote smallholders to 206,176 capacity building programs and finance; SOY IMPORTS WERE BY FAR tonnes CO2eq → Development of more holistic approaches COFFEE TAKING ACTIONS TO ADDRESS including crop diversification and creation THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO of landscapes or jurisdictional approach in 5,158 THE DESTRUCTION OF NATURE producing areas; GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM tonnes CO2eq Large scale and reliable monitoring systems OCCURRING AS A RESULT OF → SUGARCANE AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, e.g. using geo spatial data at deforestation OVERSEAS PRODUCTION OF fronts; 18,655 ACCOUNTING FOR AN AVERAGE OF → Increased uptake of certified segregated tonnes CO eq 2 60% OF EMISSIONS EACH YEAR COMMODITIES IS VITAL TO volumes and transparency by purchasing COCONUT PROTECT WILDLIFE, HABITATS companies. 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000 900,000 1,000,000 1,100,000 1,200,000 1,300,000 1,400,000 1,500,000 1,600,000 1,700,000 1,800,000 WWF remains committed to working with a AND LOCAL

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