Europe needs to put its money where its mouth is to stop deforestation in South-east Asia

Christopher Botsford

Published Mon, Apr 10, 2023 · 04:34 PM

A NEW European Union (EU) regulation will come into force this year that bans the import of products made from agricultural commodities such as palm oil, timber, coffee and rubber grown on recently deforested land.

While there is broad consensus among international environmental groups that this new regulation is a significant step forward in the fight against deforestation and biodiversity loss, it has triggered protests by some palm oil and rubber farmers in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The regulation means that from 2024, the EU will require companie…