Forest Risk Commodities

Lord Trees Excerpts

Tuesday 8th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I absolutely agree that we need to take action on this. The Government are looking at the best way to do so in order to be most effective. The EU reset is also part of that because the EU’s deforestation programme that it is working on is ambitious and we need to look at how we align with that. Also, the DBT is undertaking the responsible business conduct review, looking at the effectiveness of the UK’s regime in preventing human rights, labour rights and environmental harms, and deforestation is part of that, so other action is taking place as we move forward in this area.

[Lord Trees (CB)]

My Lords, analysis by Global Witness shows that the UK’s imports of cattle products are associated with the highest levels of deforestation, yet it is predicted for 2025 that beef imports to the UK will rise by 12%, while our own beef production will fall by 5%. Given that, in terms of methane production, we produce a kilogram of beef at something like a quarter of the global average—a figure which does not take account of the negative effects of deforestation, which largely apply to imported beef and not home-produced beef—does the Minister agree that we should be supporting and expanding our beef production and relying less on imports?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

We look at how we can improve our food production and food sustainability in this country. It is important that we support our own food producers in doing that and that we protect them against substandard products coming in from abroad.