Amazon indigenous communities & NGOs sue supermarket Casino Group over alleged links to deforestation & land grabs
In September 2020, NGOs sent a formal notice to the French supermarket chain Casino to comply with the French duty of vigilance law, after reports linked its beef supply chain to deforestation in the Amazon.
On 3 March 2021, the NGOs filed a lawsuit in France against Casino Group, with the allegations that the chain sold beef linked to deforestation of lands in Brazil and Colombia. Indigenous peoples are demanding compensation for damage to their customary lands and the impact on their livelihoods.
In May 2022, a series of reports prepared by the Center for Climate Crime Analysis (CCCA) brought new information connecting the Group's meat sourcing to violations of the rights of people inhabiting the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Indigenous Land in the Brazilian Amazon and deforestation. We invited the Casino Group to comment on the new reports. Their response is available here.
On 9 June 2022, the first hearing of the case initiated in March 2021 took place. The Paris Justice proposed an attempt at conciliation between the parties. The lawyers representing NGOs and indigenous peoples said they will advise their clients not to accept the settlement.
In January 2023, it was annouced that Jupaú, an NGO representing the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau community, joined the organisations involved in the lawsuit against Casino.