On Tuesday (12), members of the European Parliament approved a new regulation requiring companies to prove that their products did not contribute to the destruction of forests before they are allowed on the European Union market. In practice, the decision can make it difficult for products with a history of connection to deforestation around the world, such as soybeans, palm oil, beef, wood, coffee and cocoa.

Brazil, as a major commodity producer, is expected to be affected by the new rules, which still need to be validated by all 27 states in the bloc. But the step is already considered historic. Parliament voted to strengthen the initial bill drafted by the European Commission, particularly expanding the scope of commodities to include natural rubber, corn and leather. Companies that do not comply with the new rules will be displayed in a public list.

From the extension of the definition of "forests", it was possible to include other wooded lands, such as the savannah of the Cerrado in Brazil. Cradle of waters in the country, the biome has lost the equivalent of almost 28 million soccer fields in native vegetation since 1985, according to a study by Mapbiomas.

With the law, which will also impact policies aimed at the Amazon and other forests around the world, Europe hopes to prevent what it calls the "import of deforestation." Recent research has shown that the vast majority of Europeans (82%) think companies are failing in their responsibility to protect the world's forests and therefore support a new law that helps stop deforestation.

Another important measure adopted by the European Parliament is to ensure that companies perform due diligence with regard to the defence of the human rights and rights of indigenous peoples in their supply chains. Similarly, restricting the import of commodities produced in deforestation areas would be an extra protection for traditional peoples.

Still, insecurity persists. During the last few days, Brazilian indigenous entities have asked Parliament to include all other biomes in European law, known as the FERC Law. "The increase in traceability of production chains only in some biomes announces a threat of displacement and intensification of commodity production to unsupervised natural areas and that, historically, have already undergone such pressure," the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), said in a statement.

The law was passed by a large majority, with 453 votes in support, compared to only 57 against and 123 abstentions. Currently, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that almost 90% of deforestation is driven by agribusiness. The European Union accounts for at least 16% of deforestation associated with international trade, totaling 203,000 hectares and associated emissions of 116 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to data from the NGO Mighty Earth.

Source: Um só Planeta