Tag: Deforestation

// 18.04.24

Recent deforestation in SLC Agricola’s farm Palmares

Author: Marco Garcia, Deforestation-free supply chains team AidEnvironment’s real-time deforestation monitoring (RDM) system has detected a recent clearing inside SLC Agricola’s Fazenda Palmares located in Barreiras municipality, Bahia state, Brazil. This farm and an earlier case of native vegetation loss linked to a fire event have been reported by AidEnvironment and included in Earthsight’s recently published Fashion Crimes investigation. The […]

By Natividad

// 26.02.24

How AidEnvironment Supports Strategic Climate Litigation

Article drafted by Sarah Drost, Deforestation-free Supply Chain Team, 21 February 2024 Since 2019, AidEnvironment’s Deforestation-free Supply Chains Team has expanded its support to European and non-European legislative initiatives, either by backing the adoption of strong laws and guiding their effective implementation, or by substantiating strategic litigation under the legal acts adopted through a focus on non-compliance cases, supply chain […]

By Melissa

// 15.11.23

From ranch to plate: beef supply chain mapping

Article by Sarah Drost AidEnvironment continuously supports civil society, law charities, campaigners, and journalists with supply chain mapping and global trade data analyses. This year we have mapped the Colombian palm oil supply chain, assessed how the Unites States is tied to scope-3 emissions linked to global commodity trade and consumption. We have also mapped importing operators eligible under the […]

By Natividad

// 03.10.23

Timber Deforestation by Alas Kusuma Demonstrates Continued Exposure of Palm Oil Buyers

Introduction The take-up of No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policies by the palm oil industry has had a significant impact on reducing forest loss for oil palm plantation development. A 2020 study by Aidenvironment and our partners determined that 83% of refining capacity in Indonesia and Malaysia, accounting for approximately 50% of the world’s refining capacity, is covered […]

By Natividad

// 28.09.23

EUDR Application: Trade Flows and Key Operators Supplying Relevant Products

Article drafted by Sarah Drost and Rita Raleira. With the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) having entered into force in June this year, preparations for the application of the law have been set in motion. EU Member States must nominate their respective Competent Authorities, responsible for the supervision and enforcement of the EUDR, by the end of 2023, while the European […]

By Melissa

// 24.07.23

3 industrial forest plantation concessions make up 81% of the sector’s deforestation in Indonesia in 2023

Article by Indonesia team In the first half of 2023, the industrial forest plantation sector in Indonesia was responsible for significant deforestation, with ten companies collectively contributing to the clearance of 10,000 hectares of forest. Approximately 81% of this deforestation was attributed to just three companies. Furthermore, six out of the top ten companies for forest clearance were also among […]

By Natividad

// 18.07.23

AidEnvironment Forest Monitoring Capacity – Latest Updates

Article drafted by Marco Tulio Garcia, Consultant, Deforestation Free Supply Chains. Forest Monitoring Tools Forest monitoring tools are technologies and methodologies used to track changes in forest cover, forest health, and biodiversity over time. These tools range from satellite imagery and remote sensing technology, which can provide larger-scale data on forest cover and deforestation, to ground-based surveys and inventories, that […]

By Melissa

// 21.06.23

The EU Deforestation Regulation is Entering Into Force: The Final Outlook

Article drafted by Rita Raleira, Researcher, Deforestation-free Supply Chains It is official now – the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 9 June 2023, will officially enter into force on 29 June 2023. Its core obligations, however, will only become applicable as of 30 December 2024, giving companies and EU Member States […]

By Melissa

// 16.06.23

Sustainability Due Diligence is Here to Stay, and Companies Must Prepare For it

Article by Sarah Drost, Senior Research Consultant, AidEnvironment The European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) on 1 June 2023, with 366 votes in favor, 225 against and 38 abstentions. The law will oblige companies to show what actions they are taking to protect not only the environment, but also human rights. Due […]

By Melissa

// 08.06.23

Village Vision Workshops: Local Communities Discuss Benefits of Social Forestry

Written by Yayasan Sangga Bumi Lestari team As part of the social forestry project implemented in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan, Yayasan Sangga Bumi Lestari, AidEnvironment’s team in Asia, held a series of workshops to surface input from local communities. One of the goals of the social forestry project is to work with local communities in achieving their ideas of using […]

By Natividad

// 21.04.23

Just two companies drive 77% of deforestation in Indonesia’s industrial forest plantation sector

The first quarter of 2023 saw 10 companies clear 4,000 hectares (ha) of forest in Indonesia’s industrial forest plantation sector, new analysis by AidEnvironment shows. Approximately 77% of this deforestation was caused by the two companies that have long been the largest deforesters in Indonesia’s industrial forest sector: PT Mayawana Persada in West Kalimantan and PT Industrial Forest Plantation in […]

By Natividad

// 23.02.23

What do the letters NDPE mean for your Valentine’s chocolate?

Article by Okita Miraningrum and Rita Raleira How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day last week? Many chose to show their love and appreciation for their loved ones by offering them the typical gifts of the season – flowers, candy, or… chocolate! Besides being an all-time favorite Valentine’s Day gift, many people also consume chocolate daily — be it as […]

By Natividad

// 09.02.23

Two Companies Alone Cleared 10,600 Hectares of Indonesian Forest in 2022

Two well-known deforesters were responsible for 10,600 hectares (ha) of forest loss in Indonesia’s industrial forest plantation sector in 2022. The two companies are PT Mayawana Persada in West Kalimantan, which is operated by Alas Kusuma; and PT Industrial Forest Plantation in Central Kalimantan, operated by Nusantara Fiber. The remaining eight companies among the ten largest deforesters in Indonesia as […]

By Natividad

// 23.01.23

The origins of deforestation-risk commodities linked to the EU market

AidEnvironment’s deforestation-free supply chains team analyzed the trade flows of 98 commodity products, originating from non-EU countries and placed in the EU market in 2021. This is highly relevant in the context of the upcoming EU Regulation on deforestation-free products, that will require an in-depth understanding of the exposure of the EU and its 27 Member States to deforestation risks […]

By Natividad

// 15.12.22

The EU Has Adopted Deforestation Regulation: What’s next for AidEnvironment?

On December 6th, 2022, the European Commission, Council, and Parliament reached a political agreement on the new regulation on deforestation-free supply chains. Since 2021, AidEnvironment has provided thorough analyses and research inputs on key elements of the regulation in collaboration with and supported by our partners, including ClientEarth, Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), Mighty Earth, and the Meridian Institute. AidEnvironment’s trade […]

By Natividad

// 09.12.22

Takeaways from our webinar on soy and beef traceability and compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation

As part of the Chain Reaction Research consortium, AidEnvironment co-organized a webinar on Thursday, December 1, dedicated to the findings of two recently-published reports, assessing the EU Deforestation Regulation and its impacts on stakeholders within Brazilian cattle and soy supply chains. The webinar had a total of 153 attendees joining from 24 countries. The attendees represented a diverse pool of organizations, […]

By Natividad

// 05.12.22

World Soil Day 2022 – Healthy soil for more sustainable food production

5 DECEMBER 2022 Celebrating World Soil Day Article by Marina Vara Gutiérrez, Regenerative agriculture expert, AidEnvironment Soil nutrition loss is one of the major degradation processes threatening food production and it is widely recognized among the most important problems for food security and sustainable food production at a global scale. World Soil Day 2022 centers on the theme ‘’Soils: where […]

By Natividad

// 30.11.22

Automotive industry is not doing enough to mitigate deforestation risks

Following a 2021 report on the role of the car industry in driving deforestation, Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) has now assessed 15 companies in the automotive supply chain (10 car brands and 5 car seat suppliers) on how each of them addresses leather-related deforestation risks. These companies were individually and systematically scored in relation to the strength of their zero-deforestation policies and strategies; how they implemented these policies; the information they disclose to the […]

By Natividad

// 28.11.22

AidEnvironment signs open letter requesting access to customs trade information

AidEnvironment, together with 55 other civil society organisations (CSOs) and trade unions, wrote an open letter to the European Commission calling for non-state actors to be able to access customs trade information. The organisations believe that the reform of the Union Customs legislation can contribute to a more effective implementation of EU legislative initiatives and the achievement of related policy […]

By Natividad

// 17.11.22

EU Regulation for deforestation-free products: Where do we stand?

Article by Rita Raleira After the Council of the European Union (“Council”) and the European Parliament (“Parliament”) having adopted their negotiating positions, in June and September respectively, the EU Regulation proposal for deforestation-free supply chains (“EU Deforestation Regulation”) is now in the trilogue negotiations phase. Representatives from the three European institutions (Commission, Council, and Parliament) are currently engaging in informal […]

By Natividad

// 14.10.22

Planting Trees to Save Lives

Article by Anne Kikundwa Communities in Kamrono in the Ugandan district of Agago, face a lot of deforestation. With the exception of shea trees which are predominant protected by strict community bylaws, many local tree species are increasingly being cut down to be used as wood fuel and charcoal. Charcoal burning is a common activity in the community that is […]

By Natividad

// 20.09.22

Ten oil palm concessions in Indonesia have already cleared 8,100 hectares of forest and peat in 2022 so far

Indonesia remains the deforestation hotspot in the region according to an analysis conducted by AidEnvironment of the oil palm concession companies in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea with the most deforestation in the first six months of 2022. The top ten concessions collectively contributed to 8,100 hectares of deforestation and these ten concessions are all located in Indonesia. Two […]

By Natividad

// 17.08.22

AidEnvironment Launches Social Forestry tracking website, in Ketapang, West Kalimantan

On Tuesday, 4 August 2022, AidEnvironment officially launched a social forestry website in partnership with the Government of Ketapang District in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The launch event was held at the Ketapang Regent Office and was attended by representatives of the Village Forest Management Institution (Lembaga Desa Pengelola Hutan/LDPH), village government, Regional Apparatus Organization (Organisasi Perangkat Daerah/OPD), North Ketapang and […]

By Natividad

// 07.07.22

Our Forest Team is looking for a GIS intern (0.5-0.6 FTE)

We are hiring! We are looking for an GIS intern, who can provide overall support to AidEnvironment’s Forest team, including deforestation analysis, land use change analysis, database maintenance, coding, and programming. About AidEnvironment AidEnvironment is a not-for-profit sustainability research, strategy and implementation organisation working to achieve transformative sector change. We produce actionable insights and implement sustainable solutions to help protect […]

By Judith Knibbe

// 30.06.22

EU Deforestation Regulation: Will the traceability requirement hold smallholder producers back?

EU Deforestation Regulation: Will the traceability requirement hold smallholder producers back? The short answer is no. The European Commission’s recent proposed legislation to eliminate deforestation from the supply chains of soft commodities will require, among other things, complete traceability of the supply chains of a set of high-risk commodities. This has led civil society and industry to wonder about the […]

By AidEnvironment

// 06.05.22

AidEnvironment supports Washington Post’s investigation into illegal deforestation of the Amazon by JBS, Brazil’s largest beef company

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By Judith Knibbe

// 22.04.22

AidEnvironment celebrates Earth Day with a new content series, ‘Insights from the field’

The first in a special content series featuring stories from the ground from our programs in Indonesia, Uganda and the Philippines.

By Judith Knibbe

// 21.04.22

Five industrial tree plantation companies responsible for 3,000 ha of forest clearing first quarter 2022

Five industrial tree plantations companies in Indonesia contributed to almost 3,000 ha of forest loss in the first quarter 2022. Four of the companies operate in Kalimantan, with one Sumatra. The group companies responsible for the clearings are Alas Kusuma, Nusantara Fiber, PT Hutan Produksi Lestari, Jhonlin Group, and PT Toba Pulp Lestari (affiliated with Royal Golden Eagle). 1. ALAS […]

By AidEnvironment

// 19.04.22

Fire alerts on industrial tree concessions show the need for community engagement

Ten industrial tree concessions together had over 1,500 NASA fire alerts on their concessions in Indonesia’s dry season of 2021, analysis by Aidenvironment shows. Aidenvironment investigated all industrial tree concessions in Indonesia, to identify the companies with highest number of fire alerts. Most of the fires occurred in Kalimantan, then in Sumatra and surrounding islands, then East and West Nusa […]

By AidEnvironment

// 14.04.22

Brasilagro to convert over 10,000 hectares of cerrado forest

BrasilAgro, a Brazilian rural real estate firm and soy producer, has plans to convert at least 10,000 hectares (ha) of Cerrado native vegetation for livestock and grain production, which include the drilling of several large-capacity wells. Aidenvironment, through its Chain Reaction Research consortium, already monitors BrasilAgro for several years, and has previously flagged the company’s clearing operations in Brazil and the associated business risks. Read […]

By AidEnvironment

Real-time Deforestation Monitoring report

// 12.04.22

AidEnvironment launches second supply chain transparency report featuring largest commodity companies (RDM 2)

Our April 2022 Real-time Deforestation Monitoring (RDM) report sheds light on 13,930 hectares of deforestation and fire events.

By AidEnvironment

// 03.04.22

Palm oil investors in Africa struggle with community pressure

Aidenvironment recently published its Chain Reaction Research report on palm oil developments in Africa. The report inspired a Mongabay article published today on how in West and Central Africa, palm oil investors buckle under community pressure. There is substantial discrepancy between oil palm concessions in the region and areas ultimately converted for industrial oil palm plantations. One of the powerful explanations “is the cross-border campaigning and resistance […]

By AidEnvironment

// 17.03.22

AidEnvironment joins private sector roundtable with NICFI’s satellite data program

The Norway’s International Climate & Forests Initiative (NICFI) Satellite Data Program provides high-resolution satellite imagery of the global tropics to help reduce and reverse tropical forest loss. A key goal of the program is to help advance solutions that reduce pressure on forests from global markets. The virtual roundtable event focused on the post- Glasgow Declaration context, and the role […]

By AidEnvironment

// 04.03.22

African oil palm expansion slows, but reputation risks remain

Read our recently published Chain Reaction Research report on palm oil developments in Africa.

By AidEnvironment

// 22.02.22

AidEnvironment launches new supply chain transparency report featuring largest commodity companies

On 22 February 2022, AidEnvironment published a Real-time Deforestation Monitoring (RDM) report that sheds light on 21,265 hectares of deforestation and fire events linked to soy traders and meatpackers in the Cerrado biome in Brazil. RDM reports aim to: create awareness on recent deforestation and fire events linked to global commodities’ supply chains; engage commodity producers and traders on real-time deforestation […]

By AidEnvironment

// 04.02.22

Four Indonesian pulp and paper companies responsible for 11,000 hectares of forest loss in 2021

Just four pulp and paper companies in Indonesia were responsible for 11,000 hectares of forest clearing during 2021, analysis by AidEnvironment shows. The figure is similar to Indonesia’s 2020’s deforestation figures, when five companies were responsible for 13,000 hectares of forest loss. The four groups clearing the most forest in 2021 were Alas Kusuma, Nusantara Fiber, Moorim Group and PT Hutan Produksi Lestari. Nusantara Fiber and […]

By AidEnvironment

// 28.01.22

Deforestation: is there too much focus on palm oil?

While palm oil companies are considered ahead of other sectors in no-deforestation implementation, AidEnvironment uncovered that non-palm deforestation persists in sustainable palm oil supply chains.

By Judith Knibbe

// 17.12.21

Banking on palm oil in Southeast Asia

A new report by Aidenvironment’s partner Gulzhan Musaeva examines the exploitation of land resources by the palm oil sector and the role of banking institutions in this process. The report focuses on the two leading producing nations of Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia, and neighbouring Singapore. The biggest local financiers — whose exposure to forest-risk sectors is among the highest in the world — […]

By AidEnvironment

// 07.12.21

Palm oil production in Brazilian Amazon threatens no deforestation, no exploitation commitments

Oil palm growers in Brazil have argued that palm oil production is a “green solution” to safeguard the Amazon as a result of planting on areas already degraded and cleared only before 2008. While palm oil production in the Brazilian Amazon has relatively lower environmental impacts than soy and beef, our new joint publication Palm oil Production in Brazilian Amazon Threathens […]

By AidEnvironment

// 02.12.21

Record deforestation in Brazil highlight need for new EU import law

The recently released PRODES data for 2021 shows deforestation of 13,235 km2 (1,323,500 hectares) in the Legal Amazon, the highest number since 2008 and an increase of 22 percent when compared to the previous year (the annual rates cover a timeframe from August of the previous year to July of the current year). Since the beginning of 2019, when the current president, Jair […]

By AidEnvironment

// 26.11.21

Satellite monitoring in action – ‘bad’ soy in sustainable animal feed

Aidenvironment research contributed to a television broadcast about deforestation in the Dutch animal feed industry. Zembla, a Dutch documentary program, released a broadcast on November 25th at NPO2 concerning Brazil’s soy exports linked deforestation and animal feed companies in the Netherlands. Aidenvironment supported the research in Brazil, by providing data on deforestation and fires in several farms from soy producer SLC Agrícola […]

By AidEnvironment

// 19.11.21

AidEnvironment insights: Gaps and opportunities in EU deforestation regulation and COP26 pledges

November 2021 has been a month of promises and pledges to safeguard the world’s forests and further prevent carbon emissions from deforestation. Apart from the COP26 collective declaration to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, yesterday the European Commission released a proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products. The law aims to minimize the risk of deforestation in goods, such […]

By AidEnvironment

// 29.10.21

Sinar Mas limits no-deforestation policies to flagship companies

The Sinar Mas group, owned by the Widjaja family, is one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia. Its flagship companies Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) have no-deforestation commitments. However, some Sinar Mas companies are not under the scrutiny of such policies. Aidenvironment documents at least 6,000 hectares of forest clearing inside Sinar Mas’ coal mining concession PT Berau Coal since […]

By AidEnvironment

// 29.10.21

Video webinar available: Why cross-commodity no-deforestation policies are essential for palm oil buyers

Chain Reaction Research held a webinar on October 21st, 2021 looking into a recent Aidenvironment report that documented 133,000 hectares of deforestation since 2016 that are significant producers of palm oil. The event focused on the need for more palm oil buyers’ No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policies to be applied across all commodities for no-deforestation claims to […]

By AidEnvironment

// 12.10.21

PT Hutan Produksi Lestari continues to clear orangutan habitat in Indonesia

The Indonesian company PT Hutan Produksi Lestari has cleared 755 hectares of forest between January and August 2021. This makes it the fourth largest deforester for industrial trees in Indonesia in 2021 so far. Since January 2020, the company has owned an industrial tree concession of 10,050 hectares in Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan province. The concession falls within the habitat of the Critically Endangered Bornean orangutan […]

By AidEnvironment

// 07.10.21

Connecting EU timber operators to tropical deforestation-linked timber

Aidenvironment has recently finalized a study for the environmental law charity ClientEarth on the EU timber market. The study is part of a wider project on the role of timber operators in forest governance, in the framework of two tools to combat illegal logging: Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). The study ultimately aims to inform […]

By AidEnvironment

// 07.09.21

Three industrial tree plantation group companies responsible for 4,700 ha forest loss in Indonesia

Just three pulp and paper companies in Indonesia were responsible for around 4,700 hectares of forest clearing during the first half of 2021, analysis by Aidenvironment shows. The figure indicates Indonesia is on its way to matching 2020’s deforestation figures, when just five companies were responsible for 13,000 hectares of forest loss. The three groups clearing the most forest in 2021 are […]

By AidEnvironment

// 11.08.21

Indonesian KPP Group, a significant contributor to forest loss

The Indonesian Kayan Patria Pratama (KPP) group, active in the provinces of East and North Kalimantan, has cleared 13,500 hectares of forests since 2016. Spatial analysis by Aidenvironment puts KPP among the largest deforesting company groups in Indonesia. KPP is a conglomerate company, with interests in logging, oil palm, rubber, coal mining, a huge hydropower project and shipping. The logging concessions of KPP […]

By AidEnvironment

// 06.08.21

Laporan terbaru menunjukkan pentingnya penguatan kebijakan nol deforestasi oleh perusahaan penyuling kelapa sawit

[Click here for the English version of the article] Sektor hutan tanaman industri di Indonesia dan Malaysia melakukan pembukaan hutan terus menerus. Pelaku pembukaan lahan adalah para rekanan bisnis dari perusahaan penyulingan minyak sawit utama di dunia. Dengan mengadopsi kebijakan komoditas silang, perusahaan penyuling minyak sawit dapat melindungi lebih banyak hutan. Amsterdam, 26 Agustus 2021. Dalam laporan terbarunya, Aidenvironment mendata […]

By AidEnvironment

// 02.07.21

Papua lost 7,000 ha of forests due to pulp and paper companies

Four companies deforested 7,000 hectares for industrial trees in Papua between 2016 to May 2021, analysis by Aidenvironment reveals. The largest deforester was the South Korean Moorim Group that cleared 3,800 hectares of forests during the said period and continued its clearing through 2021. Sumatera Dinamika Utama, a company group connected to Royal Golden Eagle, occupied second place with 1,300 hectares of […]

By AidEnvironment

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