Schedule 17: Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity Part 1: Requirements Meaning of "forest risk commodity"
Paragraph 1 outlines the meaning of "forest risk commodity". This captures agricultural commodities whose production is associated with wide-scale conversion of forest. Some examples of commodities likely to be considered for inclusion within this definition include beef, cocoa, leather, palm oil, rubber and soya. The Secretary of State will have the power to make regulations specifying the commodities to which the Part 1 requirements will apply. This means that commodities will be brought into scope at a later date by laying further secondary legislation.
	Sub-paragraph (2) requires that regulations bringing commodities into scope can only specify a commodity that has been produced from a plant, animal or other living organism (such as a fungus).
	Sub-paragraph (3) outlines that a commodity can only be specified in regulations if the Secretary of State considers that forest is being converted for the purposes of producing the commodity. Sub-paragraph (4) defines "forest" for the purposes set out in sub-paragraph (3).
	Sub-paragraph (5) outlines that the definition of "forest" in sub-paragraph (4) includes land that is wholly or partly submerged in water, for example in the case of mangrove forests. Submersion could be either temporary or permanent.
	Sub-paragraph (6) outlines that timber and timber products cannot be specified as regulated forest risk commodities. This is to avoid overlap with an existing environmental regime, Regulation (EU) No. 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010, which lays down obligations on operators who place timber and timber products on the market.
	Sub-paragraph (7) requires the Secretary of State to consult before specifying which forest risk commodities will be in scope in regulations, and sub-paragraph (8) allows for this consultation requirement to be carried out before the requirements set out in Part 1 come into force.