Two weeks after world leaders signed a plan at Cop26 to reverse deforestation at Cop26, the EU executive on Wednesday outlined a draft law requiring companies to prove that agricultural commodities destined for the bloc’s 450 million consumers were not linked to deforestation.

Indeed, the proposal would give a strong signal to major supermarkets and retailers: one of the largest economies in the world simply won’t accept agricultural products linked to deforestation.

However, as we legislate import bans, we must also keep in mind the social and economic wellbeing implications for the people sustained by these commodities.