Higher Brazilian beef exports to China are likely to test sustainability commitments in both countries. China (including Hong Kong) imported 44 percent of Brazil’s total beef exports in 2018, compared to 40 percent in 2017 and 35 percent in 2016. Brazil, the largest exporter of beef in the world even though most of the country’s …
Brazil is one of the top target countries for farmland investment deals, because of the potential for high yields and productivity. The country has been an attractive destination for investors who buy farmland to diversify their portfolios and seek stable returns. Following the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, institutional investors, including pension funds, university …
During the last two years, Colombia, the world’s second most biodiverse country, has seen rapidly increasing deforestation. This report discusses the political changes that led to this surge in deforestation. It then focuses on the cattle supply chain, the most important sector exposing investors to deforestation risk in Colombia. In this report, CRR discusses the economic …
The election of populist Jair Bolsonaro to be president of Brazil will likely increase deforestation in the Amazon and the Cerrado amid higher output from the country’s soy and beef industries. Bolsonaro, who was elected on October 28, 2018, has articulated a pro-business agenda and prefers the agriculture industry over preserving the environment and respecting …
Cencosud is a multi-brand retailer in South America, headquartered in Chile. The company is the fourth largest supermarket chain in Brazil, after Carrefour, GPA (Pão de Açúcar) and Walmart. Cencosud’s position in the beef supply chain may expose it to deforestation risks through the beef it sources from slaughterhouses, as cattle is a major driver …
On September 3, 2018, Carrefour announced a new global program with nine actionable steps to encourage better eating habits for its customers through marketing and education. By improving food quality, the company seeks to bolster its supply chain transparency and to transition suppliers to organic farming. The fast-moving consumer group (FMCG) retailer aims to be …
Cattle ranching in Brazil, home to the world’s second largest herd, remains a major cause of deforestation. This trend continues despite meatpackers and retailers having made commitments to deforestation-free supply chains in the last ten years. This report describes the economic role of the cattle sector in Brazil, key supply chain actors, their role in …
From 2000 through 2011, 68 percent of all foreign capital, or USD 18.4 billion, flowing through nine of the top companies in the beef and soy markets in the Amazon was transferred through tax havens, according to a new paper published on August 13, 2018 in Nature Ecology and Evolution. The research highlights how companies …
CalPERS, the largest U.S. state pension fund with USD 355 billion in assets under management and 1.9 million beneficiaries (as of July 11, 2018), updated its investment policy to include deforestation risk as a material risk to be considered in its investment decisions. CalPERS updated its Total Fund Investment Policy, effective June 18, 2018. This …
Carrefour will invest USD 1.5 million towards sourcing sustainable beef and the state of Mato Grosso’s initiative, which seeks to restore degraded land and protect forests in the Cerrado and Amazon regions of Brazil. The Mato Grosso initiative includes a platform on which ranchers and farmers can register their sustainable practices to connect with corporate …
