Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Agricultural deforestation accounts for around 70 per cent of forest loss, notably for beef, soy, palm oil and commercial timber. Soy ranks as the second largest agricultural driver of deforestation after cattle products and also leads to damaging nitrogen surpluses in EU farms. The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has encouraged the expansion of soybean cultivation, as European farmers rely on imported soy from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay to use as animal feed. 

Fern is working with farmers, academics, decision makers and NGOs to propose changes to the CAP that could reduce deforestation and nitrogen surplus and increase animal health and welfare.