Widespread fires in Brazilian tropical forests were at the center of media attention in 2019. NGOs, politicians and celebrities called for action to stop deforestation for soy and livestock, the main cause of the fires. Indonesia also endured extensive blazes in 2019, often linked to deforestation for palm oil. Forests in Brazil and Indonesia capture …
SLC Agricola, the largest listed soybean producer in Brazil, cleared a total of 5,200 hectares (ha) of native vegetation in the first quarter of 2020. The deforestation took place on its Fazenda Parceiro farm at the same time the global economy began struggling with disruptions from the COVID-19 crisis. The farm is located in the …
Major agricultural commodity-producing countries are seeing environmental enforcement rollbacks amid the coronavirus pandemic. In Brazil and Southeast Asia, concerns about worker safety and limited resources have reduced environmental law enforcement, including the protection of forests and indigenous peoples. These developments increase exposure to deforestation risks for agricultural companies and their investors. In Brazil, the country’s …
China’s reliance on imported soy and beef could continue to rise as the country is facing food shortages and worries persist that the coronavirus pandemic may cause further supply chain interruptions. This situation is stimulating incentives for exporting countries such as Brazil to increase volumes to China. A combination of limited labor, seeds, and fertilizer …
Editor’s note: We hope that you are healthy and productive as we all grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of what is ahead. The CRR team is hard at work to continue bringing you independent sustainability risk analysis. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be working to provide insightful analysis while also …
Recent pressure from investors and NGOs have facilitated downstream actors to either adopt new zero-deforestation commitments or enhance existing pledges. This year is key for major consumer-facing companies as many have targeted 2020 to completely eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. But the industry as a whole has fallen short of this goal, with some …
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, recently released a report on its engagement with agricultural firms and the risks and opportunities the industry faces connected to environmental and social (E&S) issues. The communication comes just weeks after the investment firm joined the Climate Action 100+ group and emphasized that climate change is now central to …
Brazilian meatpacker JBS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese company WH Group to boost its sales of fresh meat in China, where consumption is rising at a rapid pace. This deal could bring in 3 billion Brazilian real (USD 717 million) per year for the two companies, and first shipments should begin …
The trend to integrate sustainability factors into financial regulatory frameworks is creating compliance, legal and reputational risks for local banks and investors financing forest-risk commodities in tropical countries. International banks and investors exposed to these supply chains may also be affected. Based on public sources and interviews, this report analyses the integration of sustainability in …
Agriculture giant Bunge recently announced that it closed its first sustainability-linked revolving credit facility, worth USD 1.75 billion. The new facility agreement links Bunge’s interest rate to its performance on five sustainability targets. These involve cutting greenhouse gas emissions with improved industrial efficiency; increased traceability on its agricultural commodity supply chains; and increased sustainable practices …
