Britain’s leading supermarkets have urged new Defra secretary Steve Reed to press ahead with the UK’s anti-deforestation regulation.
The Forest Risk Commodities (FRC) legislation was initially introduced by the Conservative government as part of an amendment to the Environment Act 2021, but it was put on pause ahead of the general election earlier this month.
It requires companies trading commodities traditionally linked with deforestation practices, such as soy, palm oil and leather, to go through stricter due diligence mechanisms to prove there is no illegal land clearing in their supply chains.
Retailers are now asking Reed to “adopt the FRC legislation within your first hundred days in office”.
In a letter sent by the Retail Soy Group – an offshoot of the BRC that comprises all major UK supermarkets – on Thursday, members asked Defra to prioritise the implementation of the regulation as the deadline for a similar law in the EU loomed.
The EU’s strict new anti-deforestation law (EUDR), which will also affect many UK companies trading with the bloc, comes into effect at the end of December 2024.
And while the UK’s legislation mirrors a lot of the EU’s, the two pieces of regulation still ask for different burdens of proof from retailers and suppliers buying those commodities.
Read more: The deforestation regulation clock is ticking for food and drink
The Retail Soy Group also urged Labour to recognise “the role of the EUDR as providing sufficient due diligence under the UKFRC legislation” and to align itself more closely with the EU on the deforestation front to avoid duplicate efforts from businesses.
A senior retail figure close to the negotiations with the new Defra ministers said the “general feeling from government is that they are keen to align with the EU as much as they can across all policy areas” including deforestation regulations.
“The previous government was committed to enacting similar due diligence measures for commodities driving deforestation but failed to deliver FRC secondary legislation, despite being a keystone of the Environment Act 2021”, the Retail Soy Group’s letter to Reed read.
“It is critical this government delivers on this legislation to ensure that British farmers, and our food sector, can continue to access the European market from 1 January 2025, when the EUDR enters into force.”
Supermarkets told the Defra minister that “the continued delay and absence of the FRC is contributing to further market confusion and is hindering retailer efforts to deliver on our shared commitment to eliminate deforestation and land conversion”.
“Further inaction puts the UK at risk of becoming a dumping ground for deforestation-connected commodities,” they added.
Deforestation and land conversion continue to be an issue across many global supply chains. More than 50,000 hectares was converted from native vegetation to support expanding agriculture in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes of Brazil in just the last three months of 2023, according to Mighty Earth research.
Reed recently reiterated his commitment to the five priority areas for his department, including restoring nature and ensuring food security. Labour’s manifesto also pledged to meet the Environment Act 2021 targets.
Read more: Labour’s new Defra secretary Steve Reed unveils five key priorities
“Our members have enjoyed a strong and fruitful relationship with your department and look forward to continuing that with you to help deliver your objectives”, the Retail Soy Group said.
It also asked for clarity on whether only the UKFRC applies in Northern Ireland or whether both legislations will operate within NI, and urged government to publish “clear scenario-based guidance”.
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