Worldwide, forests are being lost at an alarming rate: the equivalent of 800 football fields per hour. As deforestation is a critical contributor to climate change and a leading cause of biodiversity loss, it is becoming increasingly clear that a sustainable future cannot be achieved without tackling deforestation, and we also need to take measures to protect and sustainably manage forests. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest — an area larger than the EU — were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. EU consumption is estimated to be responsible for around 10 % of global deforestation.

European Parliament

deforestation

Towards deforestation-free commodities and products in the EU – English