The UK government has announced a new law to keep products linked to illegal deforestation off supermarket shelves — a significant win for tropical forests and the millions of species that depend on them.
A Law to Protect the World's Forests
For years, products tied to illegal deforestation — from beef to soy to palm oil — have flowed into UK supermarkets without meaningful scrutiny. That changes now.
The UK government has announced a new law that will require businesses to conduct due diligence on their supply chains. Products linked to illegally cleared land will be banned from sale.
>> "This is a huge win for forests around the world, and all the lives that depend on them."
What This Means
Companies selling forest-risk commodities — including cattle products, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, and timber — must demonstrate their supply chains are free of illegal deforestation. Those that cannot face real penalties.
The law targets some of the most destructive supply chains on Earth. Roughly 80% of global deforestation is driven by agriculture. The UK, as one of the world's largest importers of these goods, has genuine leverage to shift international markets.
The Next Step
Campaigners are already pushing further. The Tropical Forest Forever Facility — a proposed global finance mechanism to permanently fund forest protection — would lock in the gains from laws like this and go further, ensuring that forests are worth more standing than cleared.
This is the first step. The forests — and the jaguars, gorillas, and elephants inside them — are counting on the next one.