Forests cover almost 30 percent of the world’s land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Stopping commodity-driven deforestation is critical to addressing global climate change, preserving biodiversity and ensuring reliable and sustainable raw materials and supply chains. Everyone – from the private sector to governments to NGOs, smallholder farmers and local stakeholders – has a role to play. Companies play an important role but cannot stop deforestation alone.
To continue driving our work on deforestation, we are launching a Forest Positive Coalition of Action (the Coalition), comprised of ambitious member companies committed to moving efficiently and quickly towards a forest positive future and who understand the need to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders.
We’ve learned from both progress and challenges of our 2010 commitment. Our previous strategy was rooted in remediating our individual company supply chains often through certification. Going forward, the Coalition will focus on systemic change underpinned by the two pillars of its theory of change – supply chain management and integrated land use approach – developed with significant input from both supply chain companies and other stakeholders.
The Forest Positive Coalition of Action will:
The Coalition is led at the CGF Board-level by Alexandre Bompard, CEO, Carrefour and Grant Reid, President & CEO, Mars, Incorporated.
The Coalition is focused on making progress through specific commitments, actions and KPIs laid out in commodity-specific roadmaps for palm oil, soy and pulp, paper and packaging. The roadmaps aim to drive change by aligning action and building collaboration.
Building on the theory of change, the roadmaps recognise the need to act both within and beyond supply chains. Therefore, each roadmap is made up of elements addressing supply chain management, engaging beyond the supply chain and transparency, and promotes more effective collaboration.
Each of the roadmap elements includes:
Work on the roadmaps is already underway and has been progressing in parallel with the formal development of the Coalition.
The roadmaps will build upon existing approaches and initiatives and identify gaps that require more focus. Drafts of each roadmap will be shared with key stakeholders and suppliers as part of a wider engagement process.
The Coalition will have roadmaps finalised for all three key commodities in the coming months. Technical support for developing the Roadmaps is being provided by Proforest, and these will be published on this website.
The Coalition will begin implementation in 2020. This process will include extensive engagement with suppliers as well as regular progress reporting against the KPIs laid out in the roadmaps.
Because we know no one sector, nor focus on one single commodity or geography, can solve deforestation alone, we will advocate for and support practices and policies that change behaviours and outcomes at a macro-level. We will do our part by collectively promoting and protecting multiple interests: forests and the environment, people who live and make their living near forests, and the challenge of feeding a growing planet.
The Coalition is committed to working with governments, our partners at the Tropical Forest Alliance and other stakeholders towards shared action and progress on supply chain sustainability and green economic development.
In 2010, the CGF’s Board approved a resolution to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020. We aimed to achieve this through the responsible sourcing of these key commodities – soy, palm oil, paper and pulp and cattle – so that their sourcing would not deplete tropical rainforests. Ten years ago, our strategy was rooted in remediating our individual company supply chains, often through certification. As a result of the hard work and investments we made in our supply chains, we have learned that certification plays a critical role, but it is not the only answer.
Recognising the urgency of the situation, we should have moved faster in broadening our work beyond narrow supply chain interventions. We are doing so now and will be more agile in assessing our impact and optimising our efforts moving forward. We want – and need – a more transformative approach that will get us to a more forest positive future.
We will work with governments and other stakeholders toward shared action, advocating for and supporting practices and policies that change behaviours and outcomes at a macro-level to end deforestation.
