In this month’s edition, we focus on an issue that often seems far away and – for the most part – quite literally taking place on another continent.

Now, while this may be the case, it doesn’t mean that deforestation is something we aren’t contributing towards ourselves in Europe.

Our consumption habits and the way we live matter. They’re some of the key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation throughout the world.

Just take the Amazon rainforest or the West African forest zone.  We have a direct impact on the need for land in these regions through our demand for products, such as beef and cocoa.

It’s for this reason that the EU has been acting to drive down global deforestation and take responsibility for all our actions.

We’ve introduced rules to combat deforestation and forest degradation, with the Regulation on Deforestation-free products due to enter into application at the end of the year.

For those of you interested in seeing how this process will work for products like cocoa, check out our new page, which shows all the steps that must be taken to ensure that only deforestation-free cocoa products enter the EU single market.

If you’re more concerned by what you can do on an individual level, then start by simply making informed daily choices. Think about what and how much you consume. Choose recycled or sustainable wood products.

In this edition, we try to cut through the noise and show you everything you need to know about deforestation, what we’re doing to prevent it and what you can do to help stop it.

And fittingly, until the end March, we're runing our annual #ForOurPlanet campaign, inspiring tree-plantings and other nature restauration actions with partners in the EU and throughout the world.

Enjoy the issue and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already!