Consultations are underway on a proposed law to prohibit large UK businesses from using products sourced from illegally deforested lands.

By Paul A. Davies and Michael D. Green

On 25 August 2020, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched a consultation on a new law aimed at preventing large companies from using commodities grown on land that has been illegally deforested (known as forest risk commodities). The consultation includes seven questions to assess whether large companies should be obligated to perform due diligence on their supply chains, and whether large companies should be prohibited from using forest risk commodities. Key forest risk commodities include palm oil, cocoa, soy, and rubber.