What consumers need to know about deforestation

We are all part of the deforestation economy. Tropical forests are being cleared in Brazil and Indonesia to make way for crops and cattle that end up in the products we buy in our shops. Some of the money that finances the destruction comes from our savings and investments. 

Since 2000, 10% of the world’s tree cover has vanished. We are losing an area of forest the size of London each week. And this makes it impossible to tackle climate change.

If deforestation were a country it would be the third largest emitter behind China and the US.

Trees store our carbon emissions, so we will be unable to meet our global climate goals without ending deforestation.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. Deforestation is in your pensions

Your pension is meant to provide for your future, but instead, it may be putting that future at risk. The money we save into our pensions is invested in companies and financial institutions around the world. This includes companies in agriculture and food, infrastructure companies, oil, gas, mining, and retail companies, as well as the banks and insurers that lend money to them.

A new report from SYSTEMIQ, Make My Money Matter and Global Canopy shows that £300 billion of UK pension money is invested in companies and financial institutions that drive tropical deforestation. That means £2 out of every £10 you save in your pension is likely to be linked to deforestation.

So ask your pension fund to commit to deforestation-free portfolios, make them know that you care. Ask your employer where your company pension is invested. It’s your money, find out where it’s going, what impact it’s having and demand better. 

2. Deforestation is in your food

Soy, beef and palm oil are all ingredients in the global food supply chain. They are amongst the biggest drivers of deforestation; produced in tropical forest regions and shipped around the world, eventually finding their way onto our plates.

A substantial 75% of the soy produced globally is used for animal feed, so is a hidden ingredient in fish, meat and dairy products.

Our Forest 500 report assesses the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions most exposed to deforestation each year. It found huge companies like General Mills (owner of Betty Crocker, Haagen Daz and Jus-Rol), and Kraft Heinz (manufacturer of Heinz salad cream) have no deforestation commitments to ensure their soy supply chains are deforestation-free. Nor do three quarters of dairy companies who use soy in dairy feed, which means brands like Président and Saint Agur cheeses are part of the problem.

Meat and dairy production has a high environmental price, so reducing consumption (eating less) of these products can make a difference.

But ultimately, companies need to be able to produce food without clearing forests and destroying natural habitats. For that we need system-wide change. So write to your supermarket, email and tweet big food companies and ask for transparency in their supply chains and a commitment to improve.

3. Deforestation is in your wardrobe

An estimated 200 million trees are logged each year for cellulose-based fabrics such as viscose, which are turned into clothes. One of the biggest sources of viscose is wood pulp but other more sustainable alternatives can be used. Data shows that some brands and manufacturers are not taking adequate steps to ensure that the fibres they use are sourced sustainably. Fashion Revolution found just one in 10 of the brands it assessed publish a time-bound, measurable commitment to zero deforestation.

The latest Forest 500 ranking looks at 41 companies with fashion and homeware ranges. Of these only half have a clear commitment to ending deforestation in their viscose supply chains. TJX Companies - the owner of TK Maxx - was among the companies that have not published a commitment to address deforestation.

There are tools out there which can help. Canopy’s Hot Button Ranking assesses which brands, retailers, and designers are addressing the risks of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests in their supply chains. This means as a consumer we can hold companies to account. Even where alternatives might not be yet available, we can use our voice to demand change.

You have power to help change action on deforestation

Ultimately we decide who is in charge of our pensions, what food we eat and the shops where we spend our money. But consumer action can only go so far. This needs to be backed up by governments to create systemic change across the deforestation economy. 

Currently politicians in the EU and the UK are looking at laws mandating companies to ensure their supply chains are deforestation-free. Such laws are essential, but should go even further. You can keep the pressure on by writing to your representatives showing that ending deforestation is an issue that matters to voters.



Deforestation is all around us, but there are practical steps that each one of us can take to hold the responsible companies and financial institutions accountable.