Industry watchdog figures reveal major surge in global forest clearance, as EUDR looms
Deforestation has increased through a number of sectors including with palm oil and cocoa. Pic: Shutterstock
Global Forest Watch and the University of Maryland have released shocking new figures revealing forest clearance has surged to 6.7 million hectares last year, which comes at a pivotal moment surrounding the upcoming EUDR regulations designed to hold companies accountable for environmental impact, reports Neill Barston.
The startling situation was in part attributed to fires that are in many instances claimed to have been lit deliberately to clear land for agricultural and other purposes including industrial mining and logging operations, which could significantly influence the ‘risk rating’ under the major new European eco-legislation governing key confectionery commodities including cocoa, palm-oil and soy, which had been due to be implemented in January.
This landmark framework has been pushed back until the end of this year in the wake of sector and political lobbying, and will be among topics at our World Confectionery Conference on 11 September in Brussels (you can register for the event via the following link).
According to the data from Global Forest Watch, a notable region of forest loss was in fact drought-stricken Brazil, making Latin America the epicentre of last year’s losses. In response, Norwegian Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen has reportedly described the figures as “a wake-up call for the world.”
As Indonesia’s Palm Oil Monitor organisation noted, Norway has pointed to “signs of hope in Southeast Asia,” with Indonesia, and its third-largest global rainforest, continued a downward trend of declining deforestation, which it said had been achieved through tighter law enforcement, early-warning satellite systems and faster fire-response teams.
Furthermore, it stated that national measures have already translated into historically low palm-driven forest loss: industrial-scale palm clearing fell to 16,900 ha in 2021 and 19,900 ha in 2022, or roughly 7% of Indonesia’s total forest loss each year. FAO’s independent review likewise found a 90% drop in Indonesia’s net deforestation rate over the past decade.
As the organisation reported, Indonesia has also issued a permanent moratorium on new permits that help protect 66 ha of primary forest and peatland, which has been in force since 2011. Furthermore, it noted that Spatial transparency has improved through the One Map Policy, whose 2.0 geoportal launched in July 2024 and has already reduced overlapping concessions and clarified village boundaries.
Consequently, Norwegian officials have asserted that these actions have helped keep palm-related forest loss below 20,000 ha a year, which is crucial in relation to Glasgow 2030 zero-deforestation international targets.
Moreover, as Palm Oil Monitor noted, the actions being taken in Indonesia should be followed through in other regions around the world as an example of positive practice within industry, and that such moves to limit environmental impact should be taken consideration in relation to the implementation of EUDR frameworks.
