Tropical Forest Alliance

Deforestation in the Amazon is continuing to decline, despite a rise in forest fires. According to INPE data, in May deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped to its lowest level since March 2018. Deforestation for the year to date is down 40% compared to 2023, with expectations for a significant annual decline when the “deforestation year” concludes on 31 July. However, severe weather conditions such as droughts, which are being exacerbated by global warming, means further progress is needed, and private sector investment should continue to be encouraged. https://lnkd.in/gn78QFNU #Deforestation #Drought #Forests #Fires #Amazon #Brazil

The Soft Commodities Forum has announced its decision to expand land use monitoring and reporting to the entire Cerrado biome - covering over 200 million hectares. The move follows previous commitments by the SCF to monitor and report on soy cultivation, native vegetation conversion and farm-level traceability in 25 municipalities in 2019 (17.79 million hectares), and across 61 municipalities in 2021. Its scope is now expanded to the entire Cerrado biome and will also include an enhanced risk assessment methodology for classifying non-traceability soy and will report on all 61 municipalities using both the old and new methodologies to ensure transparency and comparability. These efforts align with the Agriculture Sector Roadmap to 1.5C, and strengthens the SCF’s ability to support forest-positive soy supply chains and promotes sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation in the Cerrado. https://lnkd.in/etDa-WA3 #Cerrado #Soy #SCF #Agriculture #Conversion #Brazil

The global agribusiness ADM is set to supply fully verified, segregated, and traceable soybean meal and oil to the European Union, as the EUDR implementation deadline nears. In March, ADM launched a fully traceable North American soybean programme, called 're:source'. The program involved almost 5,300 farmers across 15 US states and uses technology such as the FBN Gradable digital platform and ADM’s origination and transportation capabilities - allowing verification, tracing and segregation of soybeans from farms to their final destination. The program will be supported with TRACT - the industry-led sustainability measurement platform - to provide enhanced traceability. https://lnkd.in/e_BkatqV #Soy #Soybean #Soyabean #Soymeal #SoyOil #SupplyChains #Traceability #EUDR #Deforestation

According to Global Canopy, $6.1 trillion USD has been given by financial institutions to 350 companies linked to deforestation. However, according to Pablo Pacheco, Lead Scientist, WWF Forest Practice, “The global economy is dependent on nature and is therefore exposed to the financial risk of short- and long-term nature loss." WWF have released a new guide for the finance sector, calling on investors, regulators, and bankers to reduce their involvement in driving deforestation by addressing their activities and portfolios - with the aim of significantly reducing financial risks associated with environmental degradation. Explore the guide: https://lnkd.in/g3DEFzUW #Deforestation #Finance #SustainableFinance #SupplyChains #Nature #NatureLoss #BiodiversityLoss

Soy is under the spotlight due to the approaching enforcement of the EUDR. But how can soy manufacturers ensure they're sourcing sustainably? Soy is one of the most prominent and widely used commodities linked to deforestation, mainly linked to animal feed. But soy is a key plant-based protein for human consumption, which can be used in a variety of vegetarian and vegan products as well as plant-based meats. So how can manufacturers ensure that the soy they are sourcing is part of the solution, and not the problem? This article in FoodNavigator features insights from Donau Soja Organisation and Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS). https://lnkd.in/eb_CEdXY #Soy #Soybean #Soymeal #Deforestation #EUDR #SupplyChains #Sustainability

The EUDR is fast approaching, with companies and governments readying their supply chains for the significant change. The VP of cacao sourcing and sustainability at Luker Chocolate, Julia Ocampo, speaks about her experiences about how businesses can prepare for the new regulation. She shares Luker Chocolate's roadmap to compliance, as well as the challenges they identified along the way. She highlights collaboration and engaging farmers and local communities as key steps: "As we embark on this monumental shift towards more ethical and sustainable global supply chains, we must remember one crucial thing: alone we go faster, but together we go further." https://lnkd.in/e8cBiZZT #EUDR #Cocoa #Cacao #Chocolate #SupplyChains #Deforestation

What are the Amazon's 'flying rivers’ – and how does deforestation affect them? Flying rivers are massive areas of water vapour, generated by the rainforest, which flow across the Amazon basin. This natural phenomenon spans eight countries of Latin America and largely stems from the transpiration of the Amazon and the evaporation of the Atlantic Ocean. The 400 billion trees in the Amazon release 20 billion tonnes of water into the air every day. Flying rivers in the Amazon rainforest are a vital part of the water cycle for Latin America’s 670 million people, as well as the region’s unique biodiversity. But a soaring rate of deforestation and climate change are increasingly affecting the health of flying rivers. The work of Tropical Forest Alliance in creating collective action across more than 180 partners to help the world transition to deforestation-free supply chains is highlighted in the article: https://lnkd.in/eVzAwHZX #Deforestation #Amazon #FlyingRivers #WaterCycle #LatinAmerica #LatAm #Biodiversity

What did Tropical Forest Alliance get up to at London Climate Action Week? 👇🏽 'Scaling Innovative Finance Mechanisms for Sustainable Land Use in Latin America' An IFACC Initiative event, organised by TFA in partnership The Nature Conservancy and UNEP Jack Hurd, Executive Director of the Tropical Forest Alliance, opened the event. With the aim of building the conversation on financing the sustainable agricultural transition, a total of 43 organisations participated, including banks, catalytic investors, government, corporates and civil society. 4th edition of the Brazilian Agritech Briefing Organised by the Embassy of Brazil in London, TFA alongside Sustainable Markets Initiative supported with coordination and engagement. Companies presented innovative solutions to improve access to capital, restore degraded lands, and boost agricultural output in Brazil. Over 130 guests including those at the forefront of Brazil’s sustainable agricultural practices, reforestation, and green finance, the event highlighted the crucial role of private investment in driving sustainable development. TFA also organised a number of key meetings between key stakeholders to facilitate discussions, identify challenges and share perspectives. TFA was mentioned during the Nature4Climate event “How to overcome barriers to ensure financial portfolios are free from deforestation-related activities” at the Nature Positive Hub. The discussion brought together different finance sector actors, and centered around initiatives to help investors clean their portfolios, understand and tackle nature risks and look for nature-positive opportunities. The Investor Policy Dialogue on Deforestation (IPDD), of which TFA is the Secretariat, and the Finance Sector Deforestation Action (FSDA) were highlighted. #LCAW #Climate #Nature #ClimateChange #Deforestation #SupplyChains #Investment #Agriculture #Brazil

A new briefing pack by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, WWF, and Principles for Responsible Investment shows why investors are taking action on nature today. Risks across policy, operations, reputation and legal are rising, while the opportunities to win from action now are growing. Tackling deforestation is a key theme identified that is set to gain investor focus towards 2025. Investors are increasingly realising that deforestation and land conversion must be core components of credible net zero plans. Corporate net zero means zero deforestation. In addition to on the ground impact assessments, new technologies like AI, data, and pathways are transforming the ability of banks and investors to understand their dependencies and impacts. Together, these efforts can accelerate deforestation-free supply chains and portfolios. https://lnkd.in/exhNJvzT #2BIG2IGNORE #NatureActionNow #NetZeroNaturePositive #NetZero #NaturePositive #FidiciuryDuty #investors #Deforestation #SupplyChains #Finance

A new scientific paper looks into the economic factors which are causing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The paper finds that economic demand originating in the more developed Brazilian centre-south imposes a much stronger pressure on Amazonian deforestation than local (within the Amazon) and foreign export demand. Acknowledging domestic markets as a critical driver of changes in forest cover in the region emphasises the need for increased engagement by national and transnational stakeholders operating in national markets in Brazil. https://lnkd.in/eNYBbjGY #Brazil #Commodities #Deforestation #SupplyChains #Rainforest #Forests #TropicalForests