New data: palm oil exports and deforestation

Helen Bellfield

Co-Director

Trase

Helen is Trase's Co-Director and Global Canopy's Deputy Executive Director. Helen supports work on Trase's impact agenda, working most closely with governments and civil society. Helen holds a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge (BA, 2010) and Finance from the Open University (MS, 2022). Outside of Trase she spends probably too much time on football fields.

h.bellfield@globalcanopy.org

Insights by Helen Bellfield

5 Oct 2026
17 min read

EU Deforestation Regulation explained

Trase outlines the key provisions of the EUDR and highlights some of the challenges with implementing the regulation.

16 Jul 2026
6 min read

New analysis brings greater transparency to Brazilian cattle supply chains

Companies buying beef from Brazil should take a data-driven approach to assessing the risks of slaughterhouses and farms supplying cattle linked to deforestation, according to a new report by Trase.

Also in

Português brasileiro

4 Jun 2026
4 min read

Trase warns against removing leather from EU Deforestation Regulation

The European Commission is proposing to remove leather from the EUDR, despite it being linked to a substantial part of the EU’s deforestation footprint. Rather than making last minute changes to the scope of the regulation, the Commission should focus on effective implementation.

16 Sept 2025
6 min read

Trase urges EU not to weaken deforestation-free commodity rules

Weakening the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR) by including it in plans to "simplify" environmental legislation will undermine business confidence, increase costs and damage progress towards goals on climate change, biodiversity loss and food security, according to Trase’s submission to a consultation by the European Commission.

Aerial view of a palm oil processing plant

29 Jul 2025
7 min read

Trase launches open data on commodity supply chain facilities to help companies and financial institutions meet reporting requirements

Companies and financial institutions can use the freely available data to meet regulatory requirements such as EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and voluntary frameworks including Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).

22 Jul 2025
9 min read

Trase and the EUDR: Motivating and enabling world-first legislation to tackle commodity-driven deforestation

Trase data and intelligence has been used by the European Commission, member state governments, enforcement agencies, politicians and civil society groups in the creation of the EU deforestation regulation – the first-ever legislation aimed at breaking the link between deforestation and the trade in agricultural commodities.

17 Dec 2024
7 min read

EUDR delay: Maintaining momentum towards deforestation-free supply chains

Trase outlines its recommendations to make the best use of the one-year delay in the implementation of the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR) to further develop the guidance, partnerships and finance needed to achieve a successful transition to deforestation-free commodity supply chains.

19 Nov 2024
7 min read

Trase urges EU to reject last minute amendments to deforestation regulations

Amendments to the EU deforestation regulations proposed by the EPP group in the European Parliament are not based on evidence and could breach free-trade rules.

17 Sept 2024
13 min read

DeDuCE: New data to inform action against commodity-driven deforestation

A new global dataset on commodity-driven deforestation called DeDuCE is helping governments, companies and civil society assess the deforestation exposure of producer and consumer countries. Its use reveals six insights to inform the transition to zero-deforestation trade in beef, soy, palm oil and other important commodities.

10 Jul 2024
9 min read

Five ways Trase can and cannot support the EU deforestation regulation

Helen Bellfield and Toby Gardner, Trase’s co-directors, answer some frequently asked questions about the benefits and limitations of our data in assisting companies and governments in their efforts to implement the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR).

2 Jul 2024
5 min read

UK unprotected from high levels of deforestation exposure

Delivering legislation to tackle deforestation should be a priority for the newly elected British government. Trase research shows the UK’s demand for beef, cocoa and palm oil continues to drive high levels of forest loss and land conversion in Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire and Indonesia.

Worker harvesting coffee beans, Colombia

12 Oct 2023
4 min read

A double espresso with no deforestation, please

The EUDR will have significant implications for the coffee sector. Appropriate guidance and nuanced risk classifications from the EU Commission can support effective implementation.

5 Jun 2023
6 min read

How data can make the EU's deforestation regulation fair and workable

Many businesses are seeking clarity on how the EU deforestation regulation will be implemented, especially its proposed classification of countries by risk levels. The success of the law can be boosted by the EU closely engaging producing countries and using the best available deforestation data - including zooming in on regions within countries when considering risk.

9 Nov 2021
4 min read

Missing deforestation-risk products undermine EU’s due diligence proposal

Trase analysis of the EU’s draft due diligence regulation finds that the proposal fails to account for more than half of the bloc’s deforestation risk from imports of soy due to its exclusion of soy used in animal feed.

5 Jul 2021
6 min read

Exploring the investor types with most significant levels of deforestation risk exposure

New data on deforestation risk exposure builds the case for investors elevating deforestation in their risk management priorities.

6 Sept 2020
4 min read

China’s imported deforestation risk from Brazilian beef imports

Through targeted engagement with a handful of traders and local governments, China could significantly reduce risks associated with its Brazilian beef imports.