On March 3, 2021, a coalition of Brazilian and Colombian indigenous peoples’ organizations (COIAB, FEFIPA, FEPOIMT and OPIAC) and international NGOs (Canopée, CPT, Envol Vert, FNE, Mighty Earth, Notre Affaire à Tous, and Sherpa) sued Casino for breaching its duty of vigilance. They accuse the supermarket chain of not having taken the necessary measures to exclude beef linked to deforestation and to the appropriation of indigenous territories from its supply chain in Brazil and Colombia.

Last June, the judge proposed that the parties enter mediation – an alternative dispute-resolution process in which a third party (the mediator) facilitates the negotiation for an amicable solution between the parties involved.

Following the first mandatory meeting with the appointed mediators, the organizations decided to refuse to engage in any mediation.

This lawsuit, indeed, raises fundamental questions about the responsibility of a company in the destruction of ecosystems and the violation of the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon. Because these issues are of public interest, this case must be subjected to a public debate and give rise to a judicial decision, in accordance with the law. It cannot be resolved through negotiations happening behind closed doors, in opaque confidentiality.

The duty of vigilance law makes it finally possible to bring cases of human rights and environmental abuses caused by the activities of multinational companies to justice...

While the indigenous peoples of the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon are facing unprecedented attacks and deforestation, Casino, so far, has been content with claiming that its vigilance plan was perfectly in line with the law and that the organizations’ demands were irrelevant. Given the situation’s critical emergency, it is crucial to avoid unnecessary delays in reaching a judicial decision, which is the only way to force the Casino group to take real measures to stop more damage.