Colombia recently passed a law requiring the cattle industry to make their beef supply chains more transparent and traceable. The legislation aims to fight illegal deforestation linked to livestock production.

The new law requires cattle to be traced from ranch to supermarket. Government agencies and companies will use monitoring systems to close loopholes and keep livestock linked to illegally cleared land out of supply chains.

Juan Carlos Losada, a Member of the House of Representatives of Colombia and one of the law’s sponsors, calls the legislation “a powerful tool.”

The legal requirement moves beyond voluntary private sector commitments in Colombia, which “have proved to be insufficient to solve the problems of deforestation,” a report from the Environmental Investigation Agency states.

“Legislation is an effective way to address conservation challenges such as deforestation because it establishes minimum requirements and creates a level playing field,” Fernando Bellese de Cesaro, Senior Director, Beef and Leather Supply Chains at WWF US, tells Food Tank.