Production of meat and deforestation of the Amazon: a ruinous bond, which seems to have no end, despite the rules and declared commitments. Are the farms of cattlein fact, to constitute the main engine of the demolition of trees and scientists warn that this is pushing the rainforest to a point of no return that would accelerate its transition from carbon carbon well emitter.
AND JBSthe multinational headquarters in Brazil that dominates the world cattle market, has promised to face this problem with the commitment to clean up its chain of flesh supply in the region by the end of 2025.
So it was not. This was reported by a team of Journalists from The Guardian, Unearthed and Repórter Brasil who interviewed more than 35 people, including breeders and union leaders of breeders who represent thousands of farms in the States of Pará and Rondônia.
The investigation noted that JBS would follow schemes to evade controls And that deliberately leave the agreements. Furthermore, the majority does not believe that JBS will respect its main environmental commitment: to eliminate the deforestation process from its supply chain. For this, it would be necessary to cut all direct or indirect suppliers who have made the deforestation. The deadline set by the company itself is December 2025.
They say they will make it – explained a breeder to journalists referring to the net stop of deforestation. But I tell you immediately: it is impossible.
The (weak) JBS reply
Take deductions and conclusions by a limited champion of 30 farmers ignoring the fact that JBS has over 40,000 registered suppliers is completely irresponsible – said the company in a press release.
To achieve its goals, JBS must record all its direct and indirect suppliers and ensure that none of the meat she buys from the Amazon comes from cattle that grazed on deforested soils. Has set up a network of “green offices“To provide free advice to breeders on how to respect the regularization process from three to six months, which provides for the processing of a plan to plant multiple trees, the withdrawal from the disputed territory or the performance of other environmental reclamation. So the details will go to the JBS database, which would continually monitor the farms and contact the owners if they do not respect their obligations. In Pará, the company would also be working with the government Auricular marking scheme that would trace the entire herd of 26 million cattle cattle by 2026.
But something does not come back: the investigation has also heard indirect suppliers who admitted that they made use of intermediaries to clean up “the environmental imprint“Of their livestock: many have admitted that the new traceability systems can be evaded slaughtering the animals elsewhere and then sell the meat directly – instead of the live animal – to the JBS or to other buyers.
JBS, on the other hand, is not new to these affairs: last year it has already been connected to deforestation on several occasions and the Public Prosecutor of New York, Letitia James, intended a cause by accusing the company of deceiving consumers with its climatic objectives in an attempt to increase sales. A bipartisan group of 15 US senators urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to reject the request of JBS of quotation in shares.
Dozens of journalistic and NGO relationships have shown that the JBS is connected to the destruction of forests and other ecosystems more than any other company in Brazil, they concluded in an open letter. And the effects are for all to see.
