The Critical Role of Policies for Deforestation and Conversion-Free
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THE CRITICAL ROLE OF POLICIES FOR DEFORESTATION- AND CONVERSION-FREE SUPPLY CHAINS Background and discussion paper © Cesar David Martinez / WWF-US THE WAY WE FEED, FUEL AND FINANCE OUR SOCIETIES AND ECONOMIES IS PUSHING NATURE AND THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES TO THE BRINK. WE NEED TO STOP CLIMATE BREAKDOWN, SAFEGUARD OUR PLANET’S REMAINING NATURAL SPACES, AND MAKE OUR CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION MODELS MORE SUSTAINABLE. PROTECTING AND RESTORING FORESTS AND NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS MUST BE AT THE HEART OF A NEW DEAL FOR NATURE AND PEOPLE. Palm oil plantations alongside native forest on the Ariari River, outside Chiribiquete National park, Colombia. INTRODUCTION Since the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) was adopted in 2014, progress on ending deforestation and restoring forest lands has not lived up to the level of ambition enshrined in its ten goals.1 Meanwhile, we continue to lose forests, savannahs, grasslands and the wildlife that depend on them at a rapid rate. Forest-dwelling wildlife populations have shrunk on average by more than half since 1970, and habitat loss and degradation, caused primarily by human activity, is responsible for 60 per cent of all threats to forests and forest species. Unsustainable agricultural expansion is one of the primary factors behind deforestation, ecosystem conversion and the degradation of some of the world’s most valuable forests, grasslands and savannahhs, including the lands of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. With the right interventions, especially policy and private sector action, it is possible to reverse the tide of deforestation, ecosystem conversion and degradation. But global and urgent action is required. World leaders at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 74), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN Climate Action Summits 2019, and other relevant fora leading toward 2020, must urgently address this state of emergency for nature and the planet. On both the demand and supply side, the consumption and production of agricultural commodities and products and related supply chains must be free from deforestation, ecosystem degradation and conversion, and human and land rights violations. This must be achieved through concrete policy actions that contribute to the success of international commitments such as the SDGs, the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Aichi Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). We need a New Deal for Nature and People that recognizes the important role and value of forests and natural ecosystems – for biodiversity conservation, for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and for people’s lives, livelihoods and wellbeing. Authors Ingrid Schulte and Haseeb Bakhtary (Climate Focus) Hermine Kleymann, Martina Fleckenstein (WWF International), Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove (WWF EPO), © Cesar David Martinez Jenny Walther-Thoss (WWF Germany) HIGH POLITICAL COMMITMENTS NEED TO QUICKEN, AMBITION TO DEEPEN AND BROADEN IN ORDER TO CONSERVE FORESTS STOP FOREST LOSS AND NATURAL AND OTHER NATURAL ECOSYSTEM CONVERSION ECOSYSTEMS The IPCC Special Report on The current implementation Under the most severe threat Climate Change and Land recently of public and private sector of conversion for agriculture confirmed that protecting and commitments is failing to address production are savannahs and enhancing forests, grasslands, the deforestation and destruction of temperate grasslands, which savannahhs, wetlands and all other natural ecosystems which continue contain one fifth of the total carbon natural ecosystems is essential if to disappear at unsustainable sequestered in terrestrial vegetation we are to keep global temperature rates, due primarily to the and topsoil worldwide. Half of all increases below 1.5 degrees expansion of land for agriculture major savannahhs and grasslands, Celsius. These ecosystems also and livestock. Commodity including the Cerrado and North account for most of the world’s production is responsible for about American prairies, have already terrestrial biodiversity.2 In recent a quarter of all deforestation and been lost. Most of what remains is years natural ecosystems have contributes significantly to natural being degraded, and far less than 10 received increasing attention in ecosystem conversion.3 per cent is legally protected.5 the international policy arena. This has been translated into high-level Unprecedented forest fires in 2019, Overall, an area of tree cover the targets by governments, civil society driven in large part by deforestation size of the United Kingdom has and the private sector, including and conversion across the world been lost on average per year since 6 the Amsterdam Declarations, the – including in the Amazon, 2014 with a significant portion New York Declaration on Forests Pantanal, Chiquitano forest, Central consisting of irreplaceable primary 7 (NYDF), SDGs (12 and 15), the CBD Africa, Russia and Indonesia – forest. Deforestation remains (especially Aichi Targets 5,11,14,15), demonstrate the need for urgent higher than in previous decades, and the Paris Agreement (Article action. We need to reduce the in particular in the tropical regions 5). Over 400 large companies have pressure on natural landscapes if that are home to forests and other made individual pledges to work we are to avoid the risk of current habitats with high biodiversity and 8 toward increased sustainability, and future fires spiraling out of carbon stock. Even where there are with a particular focus on control, in particular in areas that signs of restoration, it takes decades eliminating deforestation from their are increasingly vulnerable due to or centuries to regain the ecosystem 4 supply chains. dryness and degradation. functions and biodiversity richness of the previous natural forests and other habitat.9 Brazil is linked to a government conversion took place. The PUBLIC POLICIES narrative opposing environmental European Union Renewable Energy protection and putting land rights Directive (EU-RED) legislation ARE ESSENTIAL of Indigenous Peoples at risk, and on biofuels defines criteria to help this narrative is being followed monitor and control how biofuels TO ACHIEVE FULL by weakening environmental are produced and imported into regulations, enforcement and Europe. However, a broader scope IMPLEMENTATION OF institutions.10 beyond biofuels is needed to make sure all agricultural and forestry COMMITMENTS Furthermore, even when there products and commodities are free is political will to protect natural from deforestation and ecosystem ecosystems, an absence of strong conversion. An additional hurdle governance and institutional Tackling deforestation and to implementing actions to address frameworks, complex land deforestation and conversion conversion requires concerted tenure regimes, and insufficient action by both public and private can be found in the differing enforcement of policies may interpretations around important actors. The public sector plays open up forests, grasslands and an essential and complementary forest- and natural grasslands- savannahhs to further risk of related terms and definitions (see role to private sector efforts 11 conversion. Common issues definitions in EU-RED 2009). This to eliminate deforestation and inhibiting enforcement include conversion from supply chains. lack of harmonization can make a lack of coordination, limited it challenging to develop coherent Although companies need to scale resources and lack of capacity and strengthen their efforts, the policies, monitor interventions, and building, all of which may be provide targeted support. right enabling environment must symptomatic of limited priority be in place. Public policies in both being attached to implementing producing and importing countries environmental laws, and a can create adequate regulations lack of intent and ambition to and incentives for producers, protect forests.12 consumers and companies to mainstream deforestation- and Similarly, legal measures that can conversion-free production and help address deforestation and supply chains, and determine the conversion, such as the Forest Law (minimum) requirements to reduce in Argentina or Forest Code in the risk of deforestation and non- Brazil, are limited in effectiveness sustainable production ‘leakage’ by low or mixed enforcement.13 For from one supply chain to another. example, under the Amazon Soy Public policies can also enable a Moratorium in Brazil voluntary smooth transition for smallholders, commitments allowed control of and ensure market ‘laggards’ are soy-related deforestation beyond incentivized to change, among legal requirements, and at a other actions. very large scale (twice the size of Western Europe) deforestation However, efforts by governments from soy production was curbed in AN AREA OF TREE COVER are often siloed and face conflicting the region. However, loss of native THE SIZE OF THE UNITED priorities between perceived vegetation due to soy remained environmental conservation and high in the Cerrado and continued KINGDOM HAS BEEN LOST economic growth. For example, to take place in the Amazon due to ON AVERAGE PER YEAR SINCE from the beginning of 2019 to early cattle ranching.14 September 2019, deforestation 2014 WITH ASIGNIFICANT in the Amazon increased by 144 On the demand side, policies can PORTION CONSISTING OF per cent against the average of also help avoid the importation the last 10 years. The increase in of products and commodities for