Researchers are Evaluating Policy Proposals to Find Ways to Lessen EU's Impact on Deforestation

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the University of Louvain in Belgium analyzed thousands of policy recommendations for how the EU should reduce deforestation in a recent report, deciding which had the greater potential to reduce deforestation while still being politically feasible.

"Surprisingly, support for stricter controls, such as import bans on certain products, is lower. However, our research shows that there is widespread support for such initiatives that can mitigate imported deforestation "According to Martin Persson, a Chalmers University of Technology Associate Professor of Physical Resource Theory.

EU's Impact on Deforestation

Previous research has shown the EU's significant influence in this field. More than half of tropical deforestation is related to the processing of food and animal feed, such as palm oil, soybeans, wood products, cocoa, and coffee, all of which are extensively imported by the EU. What will the EU do to lessen its commitment to deforestation, then?

"This is an especially timely subject, as the EU plans to present legislative measures this year aimed at reducing deforestation caused by European consumption. The EU has been debating the issue since 2008. According to Simon Bager, a doctoral student at the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) and the study's lead author, now something political is taking place.

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Reassessing Policies

The authors of the article mapped 1 141 separate initiatives derived from free meetings and seminars held by the EU to gather ideas from businesses, interest groups, and think tanks. The researchers have collected policy ideas from a range of academic papers, policy briefs, and other documents in which different parties have made various policy recommendations. They came up with 86 new solutions after grouping together similar ideas.

Stand Out Ideas

Seeking plans for policies that will have the desired impact but still being realistic to execute and having the requisite political support is a daunting challenge. However, following their comprehensive survey, the researchers have identified two policy options, in particular, that display promise:

Pointing Accountability

The proposed system would make importers of produce responsible for deforestation in supply chains. France and England already have similar systems in place or in the process of being implemented. Bager: "We consider such a system to be credible and possible to implement both politically and practically" But, he says, it needs to be carefully designed, including which companies are affected by the requirements.

Involving Multi-Stakeholders

Multi-stakeholder forums can help tackle deforestation. They are a good way for affected parties to be directly involved in helping design the measures themselves. The Amazon Soy Moratorium was a positive example of such a forum, with producers and exporters agreeing to end soy exports from deforested areas in the Amazon rainforest.

Feasibility of Solutions

The researchers investigated how to deal with the trade-off between policy impacts and feasibility. An essential part of this is combining different complementary measures. Trade regulations on their own, for example, risk hitting poorer producing countries harder.

Finally, the researchers summarize three main concepts that must be integrated into current policy if the EU is serious about reducing its effects on tropical deforestation. "First, put in place policies that would eventually result in improvement. Second, to reduce deforestation, use a combination of steps, incorporating various methods and instruments. Finally, ensure direct engagement of supply chain players in strategically relevant areas, steadily extending and broadening the steps." Simon Bager comes to a conclusion.

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