Move to protect Australian beef industry from EU land clearing laws criticised by scientists

University of Queensland’s Martin Taylor says ‘beef is the biggest single driver of deforestation in Australia’. Photograph: Aston Brown/The Guardian

Environmental scientists have criticised a move by the Australian government to protect the beef industry against European laws that will ban imports from areas with land clearing, saying cattle farming is “the biggest single driver of deforestation in Australia”.

The laws, which passed the European parliament in 2022 and come into effect in January 2025, will ban the import of goods produced in areas where land clearing occurs. Australian farmers have raised concerns that it could impact Australia’s $143m European beef export market, which accounts for 1.3% of total beef exports.