Is EU demand for Brazilian exports perpetuating Amazon deforestation?

by The Greenwood Team

A recent report has highlighted the interconnected nature of the modern marketplace and the importance of ensuring that products are sourced sustainably wherever possible.

Compiled by the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO), the study found that while Brazil is working internally to slow down the deforestation in the Amazon, Western demand for products is making this a difficult task.

The European Union is a supporter of the UN programme of reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries, but it also appears to be demanding more and more products derived from Brazilian beef and soybeans, both of which have been cited as a contributing factor to deforestation in the Amazon region.

In fact, the report estimated that carbon dioxide emissions caused by deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 1990 and 2000 correlated with deforestation driven by the demand for more land resources for cattle and soybean cultivation.

The solution to the conflict of interest is not going to be simple. An email from European Commission Climate Spokesman Isaac Valero-Ladron to EurActiv read: “The Commission and EU Member States are fully aware of this issue and have raised it in the context of their participation in leading international negotiations and initiatives.

“Trade restrictions however do not seem to be a viable solution: They could quickly hamper development and be deemed incompatible with World Trade Organisation rules. Instead the Commission and other governments (US, UK, Norway) seek solutions together with the private sector on the supply side: Public support could be granted for developing or promoting labelling schemes for sustainable ('deforestation-free') agricultural production, for example in Brazil.”

While Asia now accounts for a greater percentage of carbon emissions linked to beef and soybean exports from Brazil, Europe still makes up around six per cent of Brazil's exported emissions from beef to European consumers.

It's clear that a commitment to an approach that facilitates both fair trade and sustainability is needed. We believe that the development of sustainably managed forests is an important phase in meeting this end because it provides local communities with security and viable alternatives to the exploitation of their environment.