On Thursday, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA03) introduced the “End Palm Oil Deforestation Act.”

“My legislation supports President Biden’s commitment to end global deforestation by ensuring that all palm oil imported into the United States is grown in a lawful, sustainable, ethical, and responsible manner. Greenhouse gas emissions from global deforestation are driven in no small part by the growing market for palm oil as a food ingredient and an advanced biofuel. The United States must stand against human rights abuses and destructive cultivation practices that set us back in our efforts to combat climate change. That’s exactly what my ‘End Palm Oil Deforestation Act’ does,” said Congressman Garamendi.

Earlier last week, President Biden, along with more than 100 other world leaders, signed a pledge at the United Nations climate change conference — known as COP26 — to eliminate deforestation worldwide.

“Preserving forests and other ecosystems can and should play an important role in meeting our ambitious climate goals,” said President Biden, in his remarks at the COP26 summit.

The cultivation of palm oil, a common food ingredient, is recognized as a leading cause of tropical deforestation globally. In addition to causing increased greenhouse gas emissions, irresponsible palm oil cultivation on deforested lands is often accompanied by forced labor, child labor, wildlife trafficking, and the displacement of indigenous communities.

Congressman Garamendi’s bill would help to meet President Biden’s commitments in the COP26 pledge by requiring under federal law, for the first time, that importers demonstrate palm oil was cultivated and harvested sustainably, ethically, and lawfully in its country of origin.

The bill would also require that all palm oil products, whether as a food ingredient, cosmetics, or biofuel, be labeled with their country of origin, allowing American consumers to make informed decisions.

Palm oil is also increasingly used as a feedstock for advanced biofuels, including in so-called “sustainable aviation fuel.”

Garamendi’s bill would end a longstanding loophole that allows imported palm oil to qualify for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard, which Congress intended to promote domestic biofuel production.