International trade in commodities like soy, beef, wood and palm oil is a major driver of forest loss, land grabbing and climate change, as documented by the Global Forest Coalition, numerous other organisations and confirmed by several scientific reports. The free trade agreements that fuel the trade in these big drivers of deforestation are a major threat to forests, ecosystems, climate change and communities. We work to halt and reverse these trade agreements, and remove agriculture and forests from the control of the World Trade Organization (WTO). We do this through active advocacy strategies and by mobilising opposition amongst our member groups, and our social movement allies. We focus on the ways in which trade and investment rules drive the expansion of international soy, beef, wood and palm oil markets, and we promote just and feasible alternatives that build towards an Economy for Life, for the health of the planet and its peoples.
24 Aug 2023
The agrifood system is intricately woven with social class, gender, and ethnicity, perpetuating a matrix of capitalist, patriarchal, and colonial dominance that underlies unequal access to sustenance, safe working conditions, and a healthy environment. Rather than helping chart a path to a just and equitable future, this false and pernicious narrative keeps us chained to historical injustices.
4 Mar 2021
by Rachel Smolker, Biofuelwatch, USA Read the full report: Swallowing Indonesia’s Forests The Indonesian government recently announced plans for several new “food estate” projects in Central Kalimantan, Papua and North…
16 Dec 2020
Our new report in our Forest Cover series analyzes the self-reinforcing cycle of the corporate capture of government policy-making and perverse incentives that harm biodiversity. It includes analysis by member…
15 Oct 2020
Originally published by 50by40 To commemorate World Food Day, the Global Forest Coalition (GFC) reflects on the impacts of extensive agro-industrial production around the world and community responses to the…
6 Aug 2020
As fires rage once again in parts of Latin America, send a strong message to international development banks: stop fueling the climate crisis and new pandemics by investing in industrial…
22 Jul 2020
Over 20 organisations including the Global Forest Coalition have sent an open letter (copied below) to the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) calling on them to align their…
2 Jul 2020
Over 30 organisations including the Global Forest Coalition have signed an open letter (also copied below) to the Chief Executive Officer of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the President…
18 Dec 2019
This edition of Forest Cover focuses on the Belt Road Initiative (BRI). BRI is the Chinese government’s global development strategy to revitalise the old Silk Road, linking China with Asia…
3 Dec 2019
by Eduardo Giesen (Colectivo VientoSur) and Ruth Nyambura (Global Forest Coalition) On the 18th of October, the largest protests witnessed since the end of the 17-year dictatorship of General Augusto…
11 Dec 2018
By Coraina de la Plaza, Global Forest Coalition Climate finance has again been one of the most sticky issues in international climate change negotiations this year. Since the signing of…
3 Dec 2018
As governments congregate once more for a climate COP, this time in Katowice, Poland, Forest Cover 57 looks critically at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s latest assessment report…
