Supply Chain Solutions Center: Commodities

Forests are a critical component of a healthy planet. Slowing deforestation and restoring damaged forests could deliver a quarter or more of the carbon reductions needed by 2030 to avert dangerous climate change. Trees act as a massive carbon sink, provide natural habitat for millions of species of plants and animals, and protect watersheds by preventing erosion and acting as a natural water filtration system. For companies who care about sustainability and climate stability, forest protection must be a top priority.

At the same time, deforestation is a complex problem to solve. For many consumer products companies, deforestation hides deep in the supply chain. Beef, soy, palm oil, and pulp and paper are the major drivers of permanent deforestation globally, accounting for approximately 1.7 gigatons of annual greenhouse gas emissions. These commodities are pervasive of supermarket shelves and have complex supply chains that make understanding and mitigating deforestation very challenging.

The good news is that there are many resources already available to companies to help reduce deforestation through sustainable commodity sourcing.