End Palm Oil Deforestation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I introduce the ``End Palm Oil Deforestation Act,'' which would incentivize all palm oil products imported into the United States to be certified by credible third-party standards for lawful, ethical, and sustainable sourcing of palm oil like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. My bill would also prohibit American taxpayer dollars from funding destructive practices or forced labor for palm oil cultivation.

As President Biden stated this week in his address at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference--known as ``COP26''--tropical forests worldwide are a significant carbon sink increasingly lost to deforestation. The United States and all countries must act as responsible stewards of this resource.

Unsustainably cultivated palm oil--used in a variety of food products, cosmetics, and biofuels--is one of the primary drivers of tropical deforestation worldwide. Remarkably, imported palm oil has virtually no requirements under federal law to demonstrate that it is cultivated and harvested sustainably or even legally in the country of origin. At the 40th Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in 2019, the global aviation sector committed to transition towards the use of advanced biofuels. As the commercialize airline industry makes this transition to purportedly ``sustainable aviation fuels,'' the global demand for palm oil is only set to increase. That is why we must act immediately to ensure that only sustainably and ethically sourced palm oil is be sold in the United States.

My ``End Palm Oil Deforestation Act'' would establish a preference under federal law for imports of certified sustainable palm oil and palm oil products. It would also require that all palm oil products, whether food, cosmetics, or fuel, bear a label stating their country of origin, allowing American consumers to make informed decisions. In addition, my bill would remove palm oil from eligibility under the grandfathered facility clause of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) under which unsustainable, foreign-sourced palm oil is allowed into the RFS program. Congress always intended for the RFS to support domestic biofuel production, not imports.

I appreciate that oil palm trees have the potential to provide efficient, low-carbon oil, but the United States must take a stand against human rights abuses and destructive cultivation practices that set us back in our efforts to combat climate change and global deforestation. American foreign relief, including financing provided under the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, cannot support unsustainable practices, enable foreign corruption, or contribute to forced labor, child labor, or the displacement of indigenous peoples.

Madam Speaker, the United States must ensure that palm oil imports are grown in a lawful, sustainable, ethical, and responsible manner. I urge all Members to join me in cosponsoring the ``End Palm Oil Deforestation Act.''

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