Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that forest risk products entering the UK come from sustainable sources.

The Government is committed to a package of measures to tackle deforestation in our supply chains.

In 2019, the Government asked an independent task force, the Global Resource Initiative (GRI), to provide recommendations on how to reduce the UK's global environmental footprint, with a focus on deforestation. The GRI published its report and 14 recommendations in March 2020.

In response, we have introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. Our law will make it illegal for larger businesses in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. We launched a consultation on 3 December 2021 to seek views on the detail of regulations that will implement the Environment Act provisions, to ensure that we design them effectively.

The Government also funds and convenes the UK Roundtables on Sustainable Palm Oil and Soy, which bring together UK businesses and provide technical assistance and support to businesses committed to reducing deforestation in these supply chains.

In addition, the Government will lead by example in the procurement of sustainable forest risk commodities. Our consultation to update the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services, taking place early this year, will propose ambitious new requirements that champion legal and sustainably sourced foods.