Imports: Forests

(asked on 22nd October 2026) - View Source

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the area of deforestation associated with UK imports of (1) cattle products, (2) soy, (3) palm oil, (4) cocoa, (5) coffee, and (6) rubber, in each year since 2021.


Answered by
Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait
Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 4th November 2026

Estimates of deforestation associated with UK consumption of these commodities are published through the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption indicator.

These estimates cover UK consumption rather than imports alone. The latest available data is for 2023, as the underlying datasets take time to gather, verify and process.

Estimated deforestation associated with UK consumption, in hectares, for 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively:

Cattle products: 5,280; 4,130; 4,040

Soy: 2,100; 2,120; 1,630

Palm oil: 1,450; 1,290; 964

Cocoa: 4,810; 3,110; 3,120

Coffee: 798; 587; 511

Rubber: 1,010; 822; 781

This Government is strengthening its approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains.

Reticulating Splines