Food companies urge UK to protect tropical forests

Supermarkets, food manufacturers, and restaurants urged the UK to apply proposed legislation to all instances of deforestation, not just where the destruction is illegal.

The UK is drawing up legislation requiring large companies to report on how they source tropical commodities and banning them from using products harvested illegally in the country of origin.

But some 20 large companies in an open letter said the proposal is not enough to halt deforestation.

They said that the proposed law's major loophole is that farmers in developing countries can often clear forests legally to grow crops.

Signatories included supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, and Morrison’s, food manufacturers Unilever, Nestle, McDonald’s Corp., and Greencore Group, and various livestock producers.

Robin Willoughby, UK director of campaign group Mighty Earth, lamented that the proposed legislation would continue to allow tropical forests on being cut down to grow cocoa, palm oil, and soy in countries like Indonesia and Brazil.

The signatories also pointed out that the legislation would not apply to smaller firms who may import products, such as rubber, from critical forest regions.