A group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives last month sent letters to major U.S.-based financial institutions calling on them to take specific actions to influence agricultural companies to reduce deforestation in Brazil. The letters, spearheaded by Rashida Tlaib (Democrat-Michigan), highlight the financial sector’s investments in firms that are exposed to deforestation risks …
Driven by the booming global meat industry and growing markets for vegetable oils, soybeans have become the primary protein crop globally. High production growth rates are particularly prevalent in South America, contributing to massive deforestation, biodiversity loss, fires and emission of greenhouse gases. The Matopiba region, home to most of the remaining native vegetation of …
By revenue, Walmart is the largest company in the world, employing about 2.2 million people and serving over 265 million customers a week. Private-label products sold by Walmart contain commodities that contribute to deforestation. For the forest-risk commodities – palm oil, pulp and paper, soy, and beef – Walmart has set zero net deforestation goals for 2020. Although …
Brazil’s development bank is seeking to sell 50 percent of its stake in meatpacker JBS SA, a move that could bring about major corporate ownership changes. The National Bank for Economic and Social Development, abbreviated BNDES in Portuguese, currently holds 21.3 percent of JBS’ shares. BNDES is the second largest investor in JBS, behind J&F …
An investigation by several NGOs including Friends of the Earth and GRAIN shows that recent fires in Brazil have taken place on farms owned by Harvard University’s endowment fund and the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA). In addition to the Amazon fires that have received the bulk of media attention, fires have also taken …
This report analyses deforestation risks linked to the “JJF Holding de Investimentos e Participações” land-grabbing case in Formosa do Rio Preto in the Matopiba region of the Cerrado biome (Brazil). The JJF Holding case, one of the largest land-grabbing incidents in Brazil, is linked to land tenure insecurities that cover 366,000 hectares in one of …
The CEO of Carrefour Brasil, Noël Prioux, sent letters this summer to its main suppliers – Bunge, JBS, Marfrig, Minerva, and Cargill — asking them what concrete and immediate actions they have taken to protect the Amazon and other ecosystems threatened by deforestation. In the letters, obtained by Chain Reaction Research (CRR), Carrefour Brasil’s CEO …
Meatpacker JBS has stopped providing specific details that show the origins of its beef supply. JBS’ “Trust From Origin” website was intended to provide a greater level of transparency by giving the names of the farms where its sourced beef is produced. But the company’s information now provides only the general area of the source …
Significant shifts in soft commodity trade are continuing rapidly. China’s palm oil imports in August reached their highest level in six years at 590,000 tons. At current pace, China’s imports of palm oil are set to be the highest annual rate ever in 2019. This is likely another consequence of the U.S.-China trade war. As …
Dozens of the largest fast-moving consumer goods companies (FMCGs) have pledged to combat deforestation in recent years. Many did so as part of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), which in 2010 set a goal of achieving net-zero deforestation by 2020 by responsibly sourcing soy, palm oil, paper and pulp, and cattle. Many also endorsed the …
