Brussels, 02/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Europe, which has taken the commitment to reduce tropical deforestation by 50% by 2020, is the region of the industrialised world that contributes the most to tropical deforestation with its imports, according to a study published on Tuesday 2 July by the Commission. Greenpeace has also denounced the EU's voracious appetite with its “insatiable consumption of meat, energy and timber”. WWF calls on the EU to “review all policies that are linked to the consumption of resources derived from tropical deforested areas”.
The study on “the impact of EU consumption on deforestation” shows that, between 1990 and 2008, consumption in Europe entailed the deforestation of some 9 million hectares (the equivalent land surface area of Ireland), mainly in Amazonia, South-East Asia and Africa. This was due to the rise in consumption of oil crops and the consumption of meat - which are the main causes of deforestation.
While most products (from crops and livestock) linked to tropical deforestation are consumed at local and regional level, nearly 36% of the products traded internationally are exported to the EU. (AN/transl.jl)