trees lost since 1 January 2025
2.32 million trees per year, due to EU coffee consumption.
Another 4.41 million trees more every year, due for soy (which is fed to animals and then ends on our plates every day in foods like fish, cheese or eggs.)
Add 4.88 million trees per year more, due to palm oil, which is also used for the food we eat and the cosmetic products we use.
Over 7 million trees per year, due to chocolate consumption.
And over 7 million trees more per year, due to EU beef & leather consumption.
Our health and wellbeing. We depend on forests for the air we breathe, but they also support our mental wellbeing - helping us stay focused and resilient
Our safety. Forests can protect our homes and families against extreme weather events, like floods, wildfires and landslides
Our future. Forests are our best ally against climate change as they absorb dangerous greenhouse gases
In less than 100 days, Europe will take one of its boldest steps ever for nature. The EU Deforestation Regulation will finally apply, and products like coffee, cocoa, soy, beef, leather, wood products, rubber and palm oil will have to prove they’re free from deforestation.
This comes after the EUDR was targetd by conservative and far-right political groups at the European Parliament, along with several national governments, pressuring the European Commission to "simplify" the EUDR, arguing that the current agreed rules - such as providing geolocation - data are “too difficult” to meet.
However, citizen's support is still high, as nearly 200,000 people sent messages to the European Commission's Call for Evidence launched during the summer holidays, urging decision-makers to keep the EUDR strong.
Note: All the numbers presented here are based on an analysis commissioned by the WWF EU.
Between 2021-2023, EU consumption of soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, timber, beef & leather, and rubber was responsible for the clearing of 97.62 million trees worldwide (equivaling to 403 140 ha of deforestation). We used this time interval as the end of 2020 marks the deadline for the EU’s first commitment to halt deforestation under the SDGs, and it represents the cut-off date for the EU Deforestation Regulation, while 2023 is the latest available data.
Data sources:
Model for trade and deforestation risk associated to consumed commodities (Trase, IOTA model, July 2025): Links EU consumption of soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, timber, beef & leather, and rubber to producer countries and associated deforestation (in hectares). For timber the model only considers timber and derived products originating from forest conversion. We use the most recent data covering years 2020-2023.
Tree density map (Crowther et al. 2015): Provides average numbers of trees per square kilometre globally.
Product conversion factors (WWF, THE IMPACT OF DUTCH IMPORTS ON NATURE LOSS WORLDWIDE, 2022): Translate raw commodities (e.g. cocoa beans) into everyday consumer products (e.g. chocolate).