Since the Amazon fires became worldwide news in August, companies operating in Brazil and the country itself have come under increased scrutiny and greater pressure from investors to address their roles in deforestation. Evidence shows that the fires in the Amazon overlap with human-driven deforestation. The likely response by the international community, consumers, and investors …
High deforestation rates in Brazil and massive fires in the Amazon have put agricultural companies operating in the country and their investors in the spotlight. Agricultural supply chains are key drivers of deforestation, with cattle and soy playing major roles. With agricultural expansion taking place in Brazil and environmental regulations having been loosened there since …
The European Commission (EC) this week released proposals to step up action to reduce deforestation globally and cut the EU’s exposure to deforestation-linked commodities. The EC laid out plans to stimulate the use of deforestation-free products through both “regulatory and non-regulatory measures.” Recognizing that relying on voluntary approaches and non-binding guidance is not enough, the …
Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the United States, announced on May 7, 2019 that it will adopt a no-deforestation policy. Kroger’s move is the result of years of investor engagement and the company lagging behind its peers in implementing policies to sell deforestation-free products. Green Century Capital Management filed a shareholder resolution in January …
Similar to physical actors along commodity supply chains, investors are facing greater pressure to limit links to deforestation, a trend that could expose them to reputation risks. A recent report from Amazon Watch (for which CRR partner Profundo provided research on the downstream supply chain) highlights this growing risk. It argues for reform among investors …
Many fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies have publicly committed to a 2020 deadline to end deforestation in their supply chains. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that most FMCGs will not meet this deadline. NGO campaigns against individual FMCGs and benchmark studies that show the differences in implementation of zero-deforestation commitments indicate increasing reputation risks …
China’s meat industry is now facing major challenges with African swine fever poised to cut the country’s pig population by a third. The impact of this sharp decline will likely have widespread ramifications, including higher global meat prices and stronger Chinese imports from Latin American countries, particularly Brazil, where rising deforestation is being fueled by …
Casino Group is a French multi-banner food retailer, with a controlling share in Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA) in Brazil. This report analyses GPA’s deforestation risk exposure based on beef samples collected through store visits. Chain Reaction Research (CRR) visited 50 GPA supermarkets in five Brazilian cities and inspected 500 randomly selected beef products. Data …
With more reliance on Brazilian beef, Chinese downstream companies in the meat industry are facing risks from supply associated with deforestation. Higher demand for Brazilian beef in China, where imports from Brazil have quadrupled since 2010, has been the major driver behind the rise in Brazil’s exports. Total exports of Brazilian beef increased by 2.6 …
The United States, the largest beef consumer in the world, is accelerating a process to reopen beef imports from Brazil, the world’s largest beef exporter. U.S. President Donald Trump agreed at a meeting in Washington on March 19, 2019 with Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro to take steps to resume beef trade between the two countries after …
