We're pleased to release the new Deforestation Risk metric, which measures the risk of deforestation occurring due to growing or raising ingredients. The Deforestation Risk metric has three components:
The hectares of tree cover lost out of the total tree cover in the region where the ingredient is grown or raised.
The ingredient yield in the region it is grown.
The ingredient concentration of the raw material that goes into the ingredient.
Deforestation is a major contributor to climate change as it demolishes entire ecosystems and eliminates or contaminates resources that local communities rely upon.
Forests are important carbon sinks, and clearing forests for agricultural purposes releases carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
Protecting forest habitats is also key to protecting our planet’s remaining biodiversity, as 80% of terrestrial species live in forests. The failure to protect critical wildlife areas from deforestation means the loss of biodiversity and extinction of endangered species. With fewer species, the resilience of the entire food chain suffers.
Agricultural production, particularly animal agriculture, is the number one driver of the clearing and burning of forests.
Learn more about the metric by clicking here, or contact your Customer Success Manager.