The chairmen of the US bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Committee on International Justice and Peace have lent their support to the FOREST Act of 2023 (H.R.6515, S.3371), sponsored in the House by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and in the Senate by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI).
“This bipartisan bill will regulate US imports of goods typically connected to deforestation, such as soy, cocoa, and palm oil, enforcing greater transparency and accountability in global markets,” said Archbishop Borys Gudziak and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan. “The FOREST Act is an example of legislation that takes a far-sighted and integral view of global commerce that includes the responsibility to care for forests and ecosystems around the world.”