A NEW Rainforest Alliance paper “Halting Deforestation and Achieving Sustainability” argues that a surge of recent deforestation-free pledges need definition, context and accountability.
The past few months have seen a number of indiviual business pledges on deforestation and collective deforestation commitments such as the New York Declaration on Forests. the Rainforest Alliance’s view is that the promises of ‘deforestation-free’ must deliver lasting benefits for forests people and the planet.
The paper sets out five pillars for success in tackling this problem:
- Clarifying definitions of deforestation-free that are rigourous yet realistic
- Addressing other critical risks and impacts pf commodity production
- Increasing the productivity and efficiency of existing croplands
- Effectively governing forests and other natural resources
- Restoring degraded lands and productivity
