Vandemoortele joined 8 other companies, in consultation with WWF, to plead together for a strong EU law against imported deforestation. we now ask the Flemish government to take the lead at a European level.
In this Dutch spoken video, representatives of Vandemoortele, Triodos, Danone/Alpro, Colruyt, Carrefour, Lidl and Aldi ask for support for the EU bill to stop imported deforestation. The BASP (Belgian Alliance for Sustainable Palmoil) also joined in on the call to take action, that is supported by WWF Belgium. The nine join 78 European companies that previously spoke out in favour of the law on imported deforestation.
The BASP representative points out that Belgium occupies the second position per capita in Europe in terms of imported deforestation. And according to the 2021 WWF report: "The European Union is the second largest importer of deforestation, after China". This data clearly show that commitments of single companies are not enough.
We are convinced that a common framework for the industry in Europe, that requires all companies to follow the same standards in the context of deforestation, is essential
Words spoken by Marc Croonen, Chief Human Resources, Sustainability and Communication. "If that legislation is not in place", he continues, "it is impossible to achieve the intended sustainability goals in the field of deforestation and human rights. The companies that don't comply would undo our efforts."
+80 votes in favour
Back in 2021, a law at European level was proposed, to ban products resulting from deforestation from the European market. At that time, more than 80 companies already decided in favour of it. Currently, the proposal is entering a decisive phase. The time is now to make sure that our voices are heard by the ministers in charge, to make sure our point of view will accurately be represented during the European Environment Council on June 28th, when the law will be voted.
The final step is expected in September, when a conversation between the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament will take place.
Improvement points
To make sure that the law will be strict enough, Vandemoortele and the other companies proposed 8 points of improvement.
These include:
- Increasing transparency and traceability,
- Enlarged list of ecosystems to be protected (e.g., Brazilian Savannah, as important as rainforest in the fight against the increase in CO2 or the decrease in biodiversity)
- Clear legislative framework and controls,
- Broadening the range of certain products, such as corn, rubber and chicken,
- Involving the financial sector in the law and argue for a harmonised European approach, so that a level playing field is created,
- EU support for countries of origin and often small-scale producers,
- Attention to human rights and the local population.
Read the entire article - in Dutch - here.
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