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Global trade

Agricultural trade impacts the climate, biodiversity, and human rights. Therefore, our goal is to align EU trade policy with the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Was sind Agrarlieferketten?

Die industrielle Tierhaltung in Europa ist auf den Import von Futtermitteln aus dem Globalen Süden angewiesen. In den dortigen Produktionsländern ist der Anbau von Futtermitteln wie Soja oft mit Menschenrechtsverletzungen und Abholzung in den Produk- tionsländern verbunden.

Unsere Arbeit:

Wir setzen uns für einen gerechten und nachhaltigen Welthandel ein. Dabei fordern wir einen Stopp der Exportorientierung der Landwirtschaft und eine Regulierung globaler Märkte. In unserer Arbeit für entwaldungsfreie Agrarlieferketten arbeiten wir an einem überregionalen Austausch zwischen Akteuren aus den Produktionsländern in der Mercosur-Region (Argentinien, Brasilien, Paraguay und Uruguay) und ihren größten Handelspartnern, China und der EU, über wirksamen Ansätze und Rahmenbedingungen für entwaldungsfreie Lieferketten.

Was können Sie tun?

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Geld spenden

Unterstützen Sie uns bei unserer täglichen Arbeit für gerechte globale Märkte mit einer Spende. Schon kleine regelmäßige Beträge helfen uns dabei, die Thematik immer wieder auf die politische Agenda zu setzen.

Gemeinsam können wir einen Wandel für einen gerechten Welthandel und nachhaltige Lieferketten bewirken.

Mehr zum Thema

Wald von oben

Why we need deforestation-free supply chains

Agricultural expansion causes rapid degradation of ecosystems in countries of the South American economic and political bloc Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay). This endangers its unique biodiversity and harms the global climate. The European Union is an important trading partner and importer of commodities associated with deforestation and ecosystem degradation and therefore holds a significant responsibility to create deforestation-free supply chains and halt deforestation in the Mercosur.

Hintergrundartikel

Entwicklungen und Trends: Kritischer Agraratlas

Konzernatlas: Regionale Märkte stärken

Wir sind Teil von:

Transnational network for deforestation-free supply chains

Ansprechpartner:innen

Katharina Brandt

Senior Advisor – Agricultural Policy

Aktuelles zur Handelspolitik

Cover page

Global trade | 15.07.2024

Deforestation-free production and keeping smallholders in supply chains

From 30 December 2024, the European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR) must be applied. Smallholders are also indirectly affected by the EUDR if they do not want to lose access to the EU market. In this policy paper, we first provide a brief overview of the challenges faced by smallholders regarding the higher requirements and also evaluate a series of targeted interviews with representatives of various industries and organisations that have already gained experience with the introduction of higher sustainability standards for smallholders and the traceability of supply chains.

Hafenkräne im Halbdunkeln

Climate finance Global trade Blogpost | 26.10.2023

Germany's new export credit guidelines to boost clean energy investment

Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs has announced new climate related sector guidelines for export credit guarantees and investment guarantees that would prevent support for almost all new fossil fuel projects from 1 November onwards. A limited number of gas projects may still receive support if they fulfil national security requirements or prove they can aid short term supply shortages, which is unlikely to be the case. Third countries are concerned about the potential drop in investment; this should be addressed by investing the billions now saved from servicing fossil fuel projects in clean energy instead.

Cover

Global trade | 15.05.2023

Sustainability due diligence obligations for financial institutions

In our new policy brief, we analyse along with Climate & Company and Rechtsanwälte Günther why sustainability due diligence obligations for financial institutions are key to achieving the EU's climate goals. As an example for this tool, we draw on due diligence obligations for financial institutions to avoid financing projects that cause deforestation. In addition, the policy brief presents specific recommendations for regulating financial actors through the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

Ein Transportschiff fährt auf dem Meer.

Report | 06.12.2022

Negotiations concluded: EU regulation on deforestation-free products

The EU Commission announced the successful conclusion of negotiations on a regulation for deforestation-free products. Companies will therefore soon have to prove that no forest is cleared for the production of certain agricultural goods and wood products. An important step – but the law also has weaknesses. Germanwatch presents an initial assessment.

Pressemitteilung

Global trade Press Release | 17.11.2021

Supply chains in which no forests are destroyed: EU Commission's initiative falls short

The legislative proposal presented today by the EU Commission to exclude deforestation in the supply chains of companies operating in the EU market does not go far enough, according to the environment and development organisation Germanwatch. Katharina Brandt, policy advisor for agriculture at Germanwatch, says: "If we want to curb the climate crisis and stop the global extinction of species, savannahs and wetlands must not fall victim to the cultivation of soy for industrial livestock farming in Europe."

Museumbild

Global trade Blogpost | 30.09.2021

The new German government must take responsibility for the climate, which includes forests in South America

The climate crisis is hitting us right now and threatens to get much worse. Germany and the EU bear a special responsibility: What we do or don't do in Europe, our food and our trade system, have an impact on other parts of the world. This can be seen, for example, by looking at the destruction of forests in the Mercosur economic area – in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

News

Hafenkräne im Halbdunkeln

Climate finance Global trade Blogpost | 26.10.2023

Germany's new export credit guidelines to boost clean energy investment

Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs has announced new climate related sector guidelines for export credit guarantees and investment guarantees that would prevent support for almost all new fossil fuel projects from 1 November onwards. A limited number of gas projects may still receive support if they fulfil national security requirements or prove they can aid short term supply shortages, which is unlikely to be the case. Third countries are concerned about the potential drop in investment; this should be addressed by investing the billions now saved from servicing fossil fuel projects in clean energy instead.

Ein Transportschiff fährt auf dem Meer.

Report | 06.12.2022

Negotiations concluded: EU regulation on deforestation-free products

The EU Commission announced the successful conclusion of negotiations on a regulation for deforestation-free products. Companies will therefore soon have to prove that no forest is cleared for the production of certain agricultural goods and wood products. An important step – but the law also has weaknesses. Germanwatch presents an initial assessment.

Museumbild

Global trade Blogpost | 30.09.2021

The new German government must take responsibility for the climate, which includes forests in South America

The climate crisis is hitting us right now and threatens to get much worse. Germany and the EU bear a special responsibility: What we do or don't do in Europe, our food and our trade system, have an impact on other parts of the world. This can be seen, for example, by looking at the destruction of forests in the Mercosur economic area – in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Cover page

Global trade | 15.07.2024

Deforestation-free production and keeping smallholders in supply chains

From 30 December 2024, the European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR) must be applied. Smallholders are also indirectly affected by the EUDR if they do not want to lose access to the EU market. In this policy paper, we first provide a brief overview of the challenges faced by smallholders regarding the higher requirements and also evaluate a series of targeted interviews with representatives of various industries and organisations that have already gained experience with the introduction of higher sustainability standards for smallholders and the traceability of supply chains.

Cover

Global trade | 15.05.2023

Sustainability due diligence obligations for financial institutions

In our new policy brief, we analyse along with Climate & Company and Rechtsanwälte Günther why sustainability due diligence obligations for financial institutions are key to achieving the EU's climate goals. As an example for this tool, we draw on due diligence obligations for financial institutions to avoid financing projects that cause deforestation. In addition, the policy brief presents specific recommendations for regulating financial actors through the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

Cover: Is the EU a Major Driver of Deforestation in Brazil?

Global trade | 01.07.2017

Is the EU a Major Driver of Deforestation in Brazil?

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to well below 2°C or even to 1.5°C, as emphasised by world leaders in the Paris Agreement reached in December 2015, can only succeed if deforestation is cut dramatically in the next decades because the resulting emissions nearly make up one fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Most of the world’s deforestation is happening in South America and in Africa. Brazil has been the country with the largest deforestation for many years. It is far away from Europe, so can we lean back and put all responsibility for causing the emissions on Brazil?

Zur Publikationssuche

Global trade | 17.11.2021

Supply chains in which no forests are destroyed: EU Commission's initiative falls short

Europe's demand for soy and meat contributes significantly to deforestation and the destruction of important ecosystems in Latin America - proposed EU legislation does not have sufficient impact

Zum Pressebereich