The essential guide to deforestation- and conversion-free food

Posted on November, 17 2025

Bringing deforestation-free chocolate from Amazonian Chakras to Europe

Global demand for a handful of agricultural commodities—from your morning coffee to a piece of chocolate—is the single largest driver of deforestation and habitat loss across the planet. As agriculture fuels the rapid clearance of vital ecosystems, the urgent need for products that are 'deforestation- and conversion-free' is driving powerful new demands from consumers, businesses, and policymakers worldwide.

Deforestation- and conversion-free goods are touted as key in the mission to safeguard forests and grasslands, restore nature and limit the impacts of climate change. They’re held up as a way of improving farmers’ livelihoods and supporting Indigenous communities.

What are deforestation- and conversion-free foods?

Deforestation and conversion happen when natural habitats like forests, grasslands, savannahs, and wetlands are cleared to make way for human activities. It could be mining, infrastructure, or agriculture. Deforestation- and conversion-free foods are, accordingly, products produced on land that has not been altered after a specific cut-off date.

Cerrado in Brazil is home to 5% of the world’s biodiversity

Why deforestation- and conversion-free matters?

Forests and grasslands are some of the biggest carbon stores in the world. They are home to countless species that support ecosystem services and all life on Earth. But the world is losing them at an alarming rate, contributing significantly to temperature rises, natural disasters and more extreme weather, and the biggest driver behind this loss is food and agricultural production.

Increasing global demand for a small number of commodities such as soy, beef, palm oil, coffee and cocoa, is leading to extensive losses of nature in production countries like Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Global food security relies on international trade as it’s not possible for every country to produce enough to nourish their populations, but unsustainable consumption patterns are contributing to deforestation and conversion.

If we don’t increase the supply of and demand for deforestation- and conversion-free foods, it will be extremely difficult to protect iconic areas like the Amazon, Congo Basin rainforest and Greater Mekong delta, landscapes that provide global ecosystem benefits.

From policy to plate: What can be done?

Achieving deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains is a multi-level challenge, and there are actions that many different stakeholders can take.

Policymakers in ‘producer’ countries can put in place and strictly enforce legislation that makes deforestation and conversion illegal. In ‘consumer’ countries, legislation can demand that companies not sell products linked to deforestation or conversion. For instance, the EU Deforestation Regulation prohibits the sale of goods produced from land deforested after 31 December 2020, and WWF urges EU leaders to honor their commitments and implement the regulation in full, without weakening its core provisions.
Financiers and investors can ensure their portfolios focus on companies and projects not tied to deforestation or conversion, and where possible, explicitly support deforestation- and conversion-free production.
Businesses should strive for leadership rather than compliance. It’s not enough to wait for policies that mandate action or punitive taxes – companies should lead with ambitious targets, clear action plans, and transparent reporting on progress. The environmental imperative aside, climate-related disruptions cost global trade US $81-122 billion every year. There’s a business as well as moral reason for implementing deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains as sustainable products will help limit the impacts of climate change.
Consumers can seek out deforestation- and conversion-free foods and other products. It’s not always easy to know which products fit the bill, but there are some certifications and labels that help, like Rainforest Alliance for coffee, cocoa, tea, palm oil, and bananas, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for palm oil, and Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) for wood, paper and textile products. We as consumers can also advocate for stronger action from businesses, investors and governments. This all relies on traceability throughout supply chains – that is being able to tell from where exactly specific ingredients or products originated. There are many burgeoning technologies, often leveraging blockchain, that make traceability easier. Businesses and public and private investors need to prioritize continued improvement of traceability if we are to have a real opportunity of achieving deforestation- and conversion-free foods and supply chains.

What needs to happen at COP30 to accelerate the shift to deforestation- and conversion-free foods?

With COP30 taking place in the Amazon, it’s an opportune time for stakeholders to reaffirm and strengthen commitments to halting deforestation and conversion.

WWF calls on countries to strengthen ambition on forests and integrate deforestation- and conversion-free actions into their national climate plans

Businesses, financiers and investors need to move from commitments to action and implement tangible efforts to halt nature loss and increase the availability of deforestation- and conversion-free foods.

The reality is that many commitments, programs, and initiatives already exist. Dozens have been launched at the last few UN COPs. However, many never see the light of day in terms of implementation. We don’t necessarily need more promises – there just needs to be more financing for the solutions that have already been identified. COP30 needs to be a conference of action, not discussion.

Discover more

Food and Agriculture at WWF
Grasslands and savannahs
Forests at WWF
WWF at COP30

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