Deforestation Free Champions

Every year, the world loses around 5 million hectares of forest, with 95 per cent of deforestation occurring in tropical regions. Most of this is driven by intensive agriculture for products we buy, use and consume in Wales every day.

Deforestation Free Champions brings together schools, businesses, farming communities, public bodies and community groups to tackle this issue and help make Wales a Deforestation Free Nation.

Deforestation Free (DF) Champions has grown from our DF Communities pilot (funded by the Co-op Carbon Innovation Fund), which took place in Monmouthshire county and involved pupils, teachers, community activists, caterers, farmers, civil servants, councillors, and more. The pilot – and advocacy work of the pupils – resulted in Monmouthshire County Council voting unanimously to become Wales’ first DF Champion Council.

We are now on a mission to make all councils in Wales Deforestation Free Champions!

Why are we doing this?

Wales contributes to tropical deforestation and habitat conversion through our consumption and importation of forest-risk commodities, including beef from South America, soy (mainly used in livestock feed), palm oil, coffee, cacao, timber, paper and pulp, and a few other key commodities. Nearly 73% of all tropical deforestation is driven by the demand for these products. 

We need our tropical forests. They are vital to life on our planet, helping to regulate our climate and weather systems, purifying our air and water, providing shelter, food and medicine, and so much more. Tropical deforestation increases the risks we face collectively – humans and non-humans – from climate change and nature loss. Many people are also impacted directly by deforestation, for example, Indigenous Peoples and local forest communities, who face grave threats and violence, loss of land and many other impacts, driven by the production of these commodities.

Whatsmore, in Wales, the Welsh public sector has a mandatory duty under the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 – world leading legislation which takes into account the health and well-being of current and future generations – to consider global responsibility within its decision-making power. Embedding deforestation free standards and practices, such as deforestation free public procurement, is a key way for public bodies to contribute to this goal.