Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 21 November (HL3031), what plans they have to implement the collective action to take forward pledges to address deforestation to which they are committed under the Amsterdam Declaration.

The UK contributes to the Amsterdam Declaration through supporting the development of a strategy which focuses on shared learning across signatory countries and different commodity user groups in those countries, as well as encouraging further action on eliminating deforestation.

The UK also supports the Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA), a public-private initiative with over 90 member organisations, which is mobilising action to take deforestation out of supply chains for palm oil, pulp and paper, beef and soya.

The TFA Africa Palm Oil Initiative recently secured the Marrakesh Declaration on palm oil, under which seven countries and major companies have agreed principles for responsible palm oil in the region. These include respect for human and community rights and no deforestation.

The UK has also established the Partnership for Forests Programme. This offers support for public-private partnerships focused on producing agricultural commodities without causing deforestation.