Together Against Deforestation

The EU Regulation for Deforestation-Free Products

Deforestation and forest degradation are the main causes of global warming and the loss of biodiversity. According to FAO estimates, 420 million hectares of forest were cleared between 1990 and 2020. This corresponds to an area larger than the European Union. The expansion of agricultural land for the production of soya, for example, which we import, is largely the reason for this. The EU is one of the causes of this problem. That is why the EU wants to play a leading role in solving this problem: with an EU regulation for deforestation-free products.

What does the regulation stipulate?
The objectives are clearly defined: it is intended to minimise the EU's impact on global deforestation and forest degradation as well as greenhouse gas emissions and the global extinction of species. This affects raw materials such as palm oil, soya, cocoa, coffee and wood. Derived products such as leather, chocolate and printed paper are also subject to the regulation. All products traded on the EU market – whether imported or exported – fall within the scope of the regulation.

We welcome the initiative!
The Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, and with it Berg+Schmidt, supports the goal of reducing global deforestation. Forests have a crucial function for a healthy ecosystem. Numerous products in our portfolio are based on raw materials that can be sourced from these forests. It is thus all the more important to us to be involved in the development of solutions to combat deforestation caused by the production of raw materials. We are actively analysing our processes with regard to their compatibility according to the established EU regulation and are in close exchange with our suppliers. We want our actions to contribute to measurable progress in the protection of forests.