UEREDD Facility  is pleased to share with you some updates on the Transparency for Sustainable Economies (Trase) initiative, which works to improve the transparency, clarity and accessibility of information on the commodity supply chains that drive tropical deforestation.

Trase is a global initiative, led by the Stockholm Environment Institute and Global Canopy, to which the European Forest Institute (EFI) is a partner. EFI’s EU REDD Facility is working with Trase to develop applications tailored to the needs of governments on both sides of the supply chain, so that they can better monitor forest-related risks and identify opportunities.

As I explain in this new article in the OECD Observer, reliable, comprehensive and up-to-date information is essential for effective partnerships between producer and consumer countries, and for policies aimed at providing preferential market access for legal and sustainable products.

Trase’s unique transparency data provides insights into the sustainability of global agricultural commodity supply chains associated with tropical deforestation. These data link commodity production and associated impacts, including deforestation, to specific trading companies and consumer markets.

This means Trase can help companies and governments manage risks and target investments in sustainable production, whilst also supporting the wider sustainability community in assessing progress towards commitments and goals.

The blog post also highlights the Trase Yearbook — the first annual report of the Trase initiative. The Yearbook zooms in on soy production in South America, and particularly the emerging world leader in soy exports, Brazil. It provides a first systematic assessment of:

• Sourcing patterns of major buying companies and countries

• The ‘deforestation risk’ associated with the major companies that dominate Brazil’s soy exports

• The ‘deforestation risk’ associated with major consumer markets, including the EU and China

• The links between deforestation commitments and changes on the ground

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