Title
WCS Case Studies and Recommendations: Supporting Producer Countries to Halt Deforestation, Forest Degradation and Biodiversity Loss at the Forest Frontier
Author(s)
Dominik Schwab; Janice Weatherley-Singh; Matt Leggett; Leonie Lawrence; Arnaud Goessens
Published
2021
Abstract
Natural, intact forests and other ecosystems are indispensable for human health, livelihoods, and food security worldwide, and yet are still being lost and degraded, especially in the tropics. In response, many European governments are considering measures to ensure their imports of agricultural commodities are deforestation and forest degradation-free. This includes the European Union (EU), which has committed to developing a new legislative proposal to ensure commodity imports are free from deforestation and forest degradation, and the United Kingdom (UK), which is exploring a legally binding target for deforestation-free commodity supply chains and a mandatory due diligence obligation on companies.
Much of the political discussion is focused on the development of the new legal measures, but how they are received by stakeholders in producer countries will be critical to their success. This reception, in part, relies on the relevant stakeholders having access to tools and approaches that enable them to easily and cost effectively understand and address deforestation risk. To support the implementation and impact of new legislative proposals to address deforestation in supply chains, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) recently published a new ‘risk-based’ framing for action on deforestation, that prioritises efforts towards the farm and forests frontier – the so-called ‘Forest First’ Approach.
The Forest First Approach builds on research findings which have shown that an increasing proportion of tropical deforestation, and associated deforestation risk in commodity supply chains, is concentrated within relatively few districts or municipalities at the forest frontier. These areas are often characterised by relatively low production volumes, increasing rates of deforestation, and a high proportion of independent smallholder farmers. They have a high embedded risk of (current and future) deforestation and yet lie largely outside the scope of existing initiatives designed to reduce commodity-driven deforestation and mitigate supply chain risks. Before the private sector is willing or able to engage in these high risk areas, increased donor support for effective interventions is needed to support these areas as they transition to becoming deforestation-free.
The ‘embedded risk’ of deforestation (and resulting greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of commodity) is far higher at the forest frontier than in other regions. Research by WCS and other partners has mapped the location of the world’s most ecologically intact tropical forests, which are mainly found in the Amazon, Central Africa, and New Guinea regions. These remaining highly intact forests are disproportionally important for the benefits they bring for climate, biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).3 Supporting measures that address deforestation and forest degradation in these areas will therefore also enable donors to deliver on targets related to tackling climate mitigation, biodiversity loss and poverty and can act as vital Nature-based Solutions (NbS).
In this briefing, we focus attention on how new legislation for deforestation-free supply chains by importing countries can be complemented by effective development interventions in partner countries that support a transition to deforestation-free production, while delivering additional benefits for the climate, biodiversity and IPLCs. We first outline the principles of a WCS’s proposed Forest First Approach before presenting three case studies from WCS’s work in Central America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. These case studies demonstrate how donor support is mobilising a range of stakeholders, including IPLCs and smallholders, to halt deforestation, forest degradation and biodiversity loss. We then conclude with specific recommendations to direct and prioritise future donor support for ‘on-theground’ actions in producer countries.
Keywords
case study; forest; deforestation; policy; supply chain
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