The authors provide a fine-scale representation of spatial patterns of deforestation associated with international trade. They find that many developed countries have increased the deforestation embodied in their imports Consumption patterns of G7 countries drive an average loss of 3.9 trees per person per year. The results emphasize the need to reform zero-deforestation policies through strong transnational efforts and by improving supply chain transparency, public–private engagement and financial support for the tropics.

Current situation

  • deforestation is permanently increasing
    • driven by international trade
    • negative impact on global climate and biodiversity
  • many developed/developing countries with net domestic forest gain but imported deforestation
  • spatial distribution of deforestation embodied in imports not well known

Questions

  • Which deforestation hotspots are driven by which consumer countries?
  • Which forest ecosystems, tropical rain forests or other forest types are the top targets of global supply chains?

Results

  • using a global supply chain model, high resolution maps- of deforestation footprints of various nations were built
    • Germany: cocoa in Ivory Coast and Ghana, coffee in Vietnam
    • Japan: cotton and sesame seed in Tanzania
    • China: timber and rubber in Indochina
    • USA: Cambodia, Madagascar, Liberia, Central America, Chile, Amazon through timber, rubber, beef, fruits, nuts
  • many developed/developing countries increase their imported damage faster than their domestic mitigation
  • tree loss per capita and year
    • G7: 4
    • USA: 8
    • Sweden 22: biomass for energy supply
  • different usage requires different tree types with different impacts on biodiversity
  • tropical: USA, Germany, Singapore, China, Russia have increasing net imports from all biomes, but rapidly increasing from tropics
  • tropical and mangrove rainforest deforestation increased GDPs per capita in developed countries, trade patterns remained the same, leading to even more deforestation (except for Norway and Sweden)

Discussion

  • maps can help countries to improve their deforestation footprint and its ecological impact (climate and biodiversity)
  • to maintain net forest gains, G7 and China and India outsourced their deforestation with increasing tendency
  • no subnational analysis included
  • maps can be used by each country to think about their personal consumptional behavior and supply chains
  • international strategies, collaboration of private and public sector, financial support for exporting countries, and transparent supply chains necessary

My comments

The 22 trees for Sweden are shocking given that only recently I watched a documentary praising Sweden for their smooth and successful transition to renewable energies.