We demand that Europe adopt the strictest possible law to prohibit the sale of all products resulting from deforestation and the destruction of the natural environment.
No one wants to buy food that was produced at the cost of destroying forests. And yet, much of what we eat (from meat to cookies) is the result of the destruction of the most beautiful forest landscapes [1].
It doesn’t have to be this way: we now have an unprecedented opportunity to make a difference. In a few days, the European Union will start negotiations on a new law that would ban the sale of all products produced in deforested areas. [2].
Europe is the second largest market in the world; if we get away with it, it would be a blow to the companies that are destroying thousands of trees to get their food to supermarkets [3].
But lobbyists for the meat and palm oil industries, among others, have not stood idly by. They have already started to use their influence to get the EU to pass a more benevolent law with loopholes through which their products fit: this way they won’t have to stop cutting down forests on the left and on the right [4].
Through the strength of people like you and the 170 like-minded organizations we partner with, we could make a huge impact. A petition that has been signed by hundreds of thousands of people across Europe is not something that can be left out, and it will help the EU see clearly what citizens want.
It’s time to show that people can beat the pulse of lobby of the food sector. Do you dare to sign the petition?
ADD YOUR SIGNATURE!
The references:
- According to this recent study, the EU ranks second in terms of imports that cause the deforestation of tropical forests and the emissions it causes
- In November 2021, the European Commission published a draft law so that EU supply chains do not contribute to deforestation. According to the bill, and for the first time in history, companies selling certain products in the EU will have to trace the place of origin and demonstrate that they are not the result of activities that destroy or degrade forest areas. The European Parliament and the ministries of each country will soon start negotiating. Agriculture and environment portfolio holders from across the Union will meet on February 22 and March 17; Meanwhile, MEPs have started to decide what their position will be.
- In November 2021, the European Commission published a draft law so that EU supply chains do not contribute to deforestation. According to the bill, and for the first time in history, companies selling certain products in the EU will have to trace the place of origin and demonstrate that they are not the result of activities that destroy or degrade forest areas. The European Parliament and the ministries of each country will soon start negotiating. Agriculture and environment portfolio holders from across the Union will meet on February 22 and March 17; Meanwhile, MEPs have started to decide what their position will be.
- According to World Bank data on consumption expenditure in nominal values: https://datos.bancomundial.org/indicador/NE.CON.PRVT.CD?year_high_desc=true
- https://es.greenpeace.org/en/news/excuses-forest-destroying-companies-sabotage-law
Source: We Move Europe