BlackRock Investment Stewardship released a report on sustainability this week, providing an overview of the asset manager’s voting practices and engagement in 2020 connected to climate change. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, says that it has voted against 53 companies for not making enough progress in disclosing climate risks or integrating these risks into …
A number of companies, including high-profile traders, have recently announced progress in efforts to reduce deforestation in the Cerrado soy supply chain. Chinese COFCO International aims to strengthen its traceability system to go deforestation-free by 2023, while seafood company Mowi has committed to sourcing only deforestation-free soy by next year. Meanwhile, members of the Soft …
Norwegian Grieg Seafood will not allow any funds from its Green Bond to be used to purchase feed supply from Cargill Aqua Nutrition, which is wholly owned by Cargill Inc. Grieg Seafood has excluded Cargill purchases from the eligible project types because of Cargill Inc.’s connections to deforestation in the Cerrado soy market. Grieg Seafood …
Palm oil spot markets have become a backdoor that has allowed non-compliant producers to enter into the supply chains of companies with No Deforestation, No Peatland, and No Exploitation policies. The spot market’s nature allows palm products to cross many hands before reaching their final destinations, making due diligence difficult. Chain Reaction Research (CRR) analysts …
A historic 2019 fire season in Brazil came as a surprise for many and garnered the attention of the entire world. Between July and October of last year, 981,282 fire alerts were registered in Brazil, an 83 percent increase compared to 2018, as CRR showed in a recent report. In the wake of accelerating deforestation …
Brazilian soy producer SLC Agrícola continues to move forward with clearing land for cultivation despite increased attention on its operations in the Cerrado. Recent statements from the company itself and satellite data from CRR partner Aidenvironment confirm SLC Agrícola’s recent activity. With the company moving forward despite NGO and media scrutiny, the pressure on major …
This Chain is part of a series on how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting agricultural markets and investor flows. Amid widespread outbreaks in crowded meat processing facilities and a major decline in restaurant demand, innovative solutions for those operating along agricultural supply chains are accelerating during the era of COVID-19. International megatrends that were disrupting …
Marfrig, one of Brazil’s top meatpackers, has seen major changes recently in its shareholder base. Brazilian development bank, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (abbreviated BNDES in Portuguese), sold its shares as part of a restructuring initiative, giving room to several controversial investors to increase their stakes in the company. By the end …
This Chain is part of a series on how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting agricultural markets and investor flows. The global food chain continues to see major disruptions as a result of the global outbreak of COVID-19. One of the main factors behind disrupted supply chains is workers falling ill with COVID-19, forcing companies to …
This Chain is part of a series on how COVID-19 is affecting agricultural markets and investor flows. Many indigenous groups are now facing threats on multiple fronts: a healthcare crisis; encroachment of tribal lands; and an upcoming fire season. Remote tribes in Brazil are particularly vulnerable as illegal intrusions rise and landgrabbers are increasingly legitimized …
