Even more forest — 62.6m hectares — became degraded (meaning an area fell to a lower ecological integrity class) in 2022. The EU and China were responsible for 40% of all deforestation embodied in the direct trade of agricultural commodities from 2020 to 2022. Meanwhile, mining and the production of viscose, a fabric made out of cellulose, are emerging threats. Take, for example, the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which covers seven commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood — and their derivatives (glycerol, soybeans, leather, etc). Once primary forest is gone, it’s gone forever, taking with it precious carbon stores and biodiversity havens.

Source: Irish Examiner October 15, 2024 07:30 UTC