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 tackle the effect of palm-oil production on endangered rainforests.

The UK is committed to supporting implementation of zero-deforestation supply chains for key commodities, including palm oil.

We are signatory to the Amsterdam Declarations; have endorsed the New York Declaration on Forests; and are a member of the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020. All of these support action to prevent deforestation and encourage the sustainable production of key commodities.

Through our international climate finance, the Government funds a number of programmes in Indonesia and West and Central Africa. These programmes support sustainable palm oil production through strengthening governance, promoting market-based solutions and putting in place the incentives, policies and actions that support sustainable production alongside forest protection.