Major agricultural commodity traders that operate in Brazil have agreed to a set of principles and transparency measures in an effort to reduce deforestation driven by soy production in Brazil’s Cerrado. As part of the Soft Commodities Forum, companies such as ADM, COFCO International, Glencore, Louis Dreyfus, Bunge and Cargill said last week that they …
COFCO, a major Chinese company active in agricultural markets, released a statement in late January at the World Economic Form (WEF) in support of shoring up “sustainable” practices and curbing deforestation in commodity supply chains. COFCO’s CEO, Jun Lyu, warned industry that failure to curb climate change could lead to poor crop production and limit …
Carrefour SA is a multinational food retailer that holds a majority share in Atacadão SA/Carrefour Brasil, the largest retailer in Brazil. Carrefour’s size makes it a major buyer of Brazilian beef and may expose it to deforestation risks, as cattle contributes to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. This report analyses Carrefour’s deforestation risk exposure based …
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 …
Major agricultural commodity trader Bunge updated its commitment to sustainability along its grain and oilseeds supply chains last month in an effort to further curb deforestation. While Bunge has made progress in its sustainability strategy, its update falls short of expectations that the company would address legal deforestation and provide more details about its measures …
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 …
BrasilAgro continues to clear land on its Chaparral farm in Correntina, a municipality in the Brazilian state of Bahia. In October and November, the company deforested a total of 1,194 hectares at Chaparral, according to satellite images (see below) from Chain Reaction Research (CRR) partner Aidenvironment. Clearing of native vegetation at Fazenda Chaparral (left October …
Peru’s largest consumer goods company Alicorp is facing criticism over a recent report that the company is sourcing palm oil from deforested plantations. Research organization Convoca published a report on November 30, 2018 that Alicorp has been purchasing palm oil that is linked to deforestation. Convoca says that Alicorp has bought palm oil that originated at …
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 …
