How global meat consumption is killing the Amazon

More 800 million trees they were harvested from the Amazon in just six years to meet the global demand for Brazilian beef. It’s equal to 1.7 million hectares destroyed by animal husbandry in Brazil between 2017 and 2022, According to new research related to Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), The Guardian, Reporter Brazil And forbidden stories.

The studio is part of the Bruno & Dom project, an initiative created by forbidden historys, a network of non-profit journalists based in France. The name of the project refers to Bruno Pereira, expert on indigenous peoples, and Dom Philips, British journalist, Guardian and other international media. The two spent years investigating illegal fishing, land grabbing and criminal networks operating in the Amazon. In 2022 they were killed.

The study of deforestation caused by cattle ranching is one of several project phases in which almost 50 journalists from 16 media and organizations news from all over the world. Motivation said forbidden storiesto finish the work of Bruno and Dom.

The recorded loss of forest was calculated from satellite imagery, livestock movement records and other data, which confirmed that there were more than 20 slaughterhouses being cut down. All these livestock plants were owned by just three operators: JBS, Marfrig and Minerva. These are major players in the international beef market, accounting for about 70% of Brazilian exports, explain the report Forbidden stories.

Amazon-grown meat on tables around the world

The investigation focused on the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso, Para and Rondonia. JBS, Marfrig and Minerva operate in other parts of the Amazon, so the clearing is estimated to be even larger than reported.

“Does this topic seem too far away for you?” — stated in the presentation of the study. forbidden stories explains that what has been condemned affects people from all corners of the world. “Global appetite for beef is accelerating global climate catastrophe: about two-thirds of the deforestation in the Amazon is due to cattle ranching.”organization warns.

According to the annual Forbes ranking, JBS is one of the 15 largest food companies in the world. In 2022 alone, a multinational corporation donated an average of 75,000 head of cattle per day, supplying raw meat to customers in more than 190 countries, the study says. Marfrig and Minerva have about half that capacity. However, they remain the two largest companies in the industry.

According to the find, all these plants are exported to regions such as the European Union (EU), the UK and China. Nestlé and the German company Tönnies were among the companies that appeared to be buying the meat of the plants featured in the study, details Guardian in your case report. The list also included dozens of wholesale buyers in various EU countries. Some of them are part of a network of suppliers supplying schools and hospitals.

Rules adopted in April by the European Union establish that imported products cannot be linked to any deforestation that has occurred after December 2020. For this reason he explains Guardiansome of the meat supplied may violate laws put in place to combat deforestation in supply chains.

What did the companies say?

Nestlé said Guardian What two out of three meat packers were not part of their supply chain. “We may explore business relationships with our suppliers who are unwilling or unable to address gaps in meeting our standards,” the multinational added.

Tonnies, for his part, said the company does not know if it sourced meat from plants associated with deforestation in the Amazon. “These Brazilian companies process many thousands of animals a year for export”he told British media.

The lungs of the planet are in crisis. “Amazon is very close to a tipping point,” said Alex Wijeratna, director of Mighty Earth, a global environmental organization. “These numbers are very worrying because the Amazon cannot afford to lose so many trees… This has planetary implications,” Wijeratna said.

The study warns that over the past 40 yearsover 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. According to the scientific community, The “tipping point” of the Amazon is between 20% and 25%. Beyond that limit, the jungle will look more and more like the savannah and could lead to the collapse of this climate change protector.