The European Union says it wants to take action on deforestation by banning food imports linked to the environmentally degrading practice.

This follows a pledge made in Glasgow at the COP26 summit to end deforestation worldwide by 2030, and it could become binding for all member states if Brussels gets its way.

Under the draft law, businesses would be required to show products such as soy, beef, coffee, cocoa and wood have been produced in a sustainable way and can be certified 'deforestation-free' in accordance with laws in the origin country.

EU commissioner for climate action policy Virginijus Sinkevicius said: "This proposal is a truly ground-breaking one. It targets not just illegal deforestation but also deforestation driven by agricultural expansion."

Last year, research from the Federal University of Minas Gerais found imports from Brazil are particularly affecting deforestation, with 20 per cent of soy and 17 per cent of beef coming from the South American nation linked to it.

The World Wildlife Fund responded by calling for a ban on unsustainable imports, something the EU now seems to be in agreement with.