A new import law approved by the European Union will be a game changer for the environment. Under the new rule, companies cannot sell beef, coffee, and other commodities if they were grown on recently-cleared forest land. This is an incredible victory for some of the world's most threatened forests. It is time for Congress to pass similar legislation!
Sign now to tell Congress to follow in the European Union's footsteps and pass the FOREST Act!
Some of Europeans' and Americans' favorite food products -- including beef and coffee -- are often produced at the expense of our Earth's forests, which provide much needed carbon absorption, animal habitat, Indigenous land rights.
In fact, the United States is the second-largest buyer of beef produced from Brazil, much of which comes directly from ranching that takes place on recently burned, bulldozed Amazon Rainforest land. Coffee is often produced on recently cleared forests, too, especially in the Congo Basin. In the interest of reducing costs, companies will literally log entire swaths of rainforest to grow the plant. This push to move production of coffee onto recently cleared rainforest has shrunk some of the most effective carbon sinks, which are crucial for reversing climate change.
The research is clear: if we lose the Amazon Rainforest altogether and much of the Congo Basin, it will be because of the clearing of forest land for production of consumer goods. The future of our Earth is at stake. Congress must step up and strengthen the US's import laws to ensure no more goods grown on recently cleared forests can be sold domestically! Sign the petition now if you agree!