Martin Persson is a professor in land-use science at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, conducting multidisciplinary research with the overall aim of understanding and evaluating policies for effectively reducing negative environmental impacts of agricultural production, trade and consumption.
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.
Agriculture is by far the most important cause of deforestation, yet cleared land is often not used to grow crops or raise livestock, according to new research. The findings have important implications for policymakers hoping to clean up supply chains for commodities such as soy, beef and palm oil.