Save the vital green lungs
Every year the world loses 10 million hectares of forest, an area larger than Portugal. Deforestation and forest degradation account for 11 per cent of carbon emissions. The massive deforestation due to the development of human activities raises crucial environmental issues for the survival of species and humanity. Forests cover roughly 30% of the world’s land area, host 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and are an essential source of timber, food, medicine, fibre and shelter.
Agriculture
The causes of deforestation are multiple, but the main driver of deforestation and forest degradation is the expansion of agricultural land. Due to a growing world population and consumption, the production of commodities such as soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa and coffee is growing. Both palm oil and soy are used in many products, also in the feed products of Denkavit.
Sustainable sourcing of soy and palm
At Denkavit, we are aware of the vital issue of stopping deforestation and want to contribute to preserving the planet’s resources. In the sourcing of raw materials for our feed products, we buy and process certified soy and palm. The soy complies with internationally recognized standards or industry-agreed codes of conduct. The palm oil that is used for the Dutch, German and French markets are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and thus follows the guidelines of the Nevedi-Covenant Sustainable Palm Oil in the Netherlands.
Sourcing 100% sustainable raw materials
However, we like to do more. Therefore, it is important to analyze and reduce the risk of deforestation. We are a committed partner to Duralim, a French association working with partners to promote and develop responsible feeding for livestock. We have signed the Duralim charter and are committed to sourcing 100% sustainable raw materials by 2025.
Assess risks of deforestation
Our partner Duralim has also created a ‘risk analysis of imported deforestation. The objective of the analysis is to assess the risk of deforestation when buying imported products, especially soy and palm oil. We commit ourselves to supporting the Duralim initiative and to implement all means to reduce deforestation. One of our lines of action is to search for alternatives to products such as soy.
New EU legislation
In this way, we want to work on a deforestation-free supply chain. In the European Union, new rules for deforestation-free products are in the making. A proposed law will require companies that sell commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation – such as soy, palm oil and beef products – to ensure they are ‘deforestation-free’ before placing them on the European market or exporting them from the EU.
