EU: Fresh evidence of illegal deforestation in European beef and leather imports underscores importance of anti-deforestation law
- New analysis by Earthsight reveals European consumers have been buying beef and leather from firms linked to illegalities in the Brazilian Amazon uncovered by the Environmental Investigation Agency
- At a time when the groundbreaking EU Deforestation Regulation is under threat from lobbyists seeking to delay and weaken it, this serves as a timely reminder that without the law, European consumption will continue to drive deforestation and rights abuses overseas
Industry pushback to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has been ramping up as the start of its enforcement draws closer: representatives from sectors with some of the largest deforestation footprints in the world are advocating to postpone the enforcement of the regulation. [...]
A new report, Who bought Apyterewa’s illegal cattle?, published in May by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) provides a timely reminder of the EUDR’s importance, one that lawmakers should heed. EIA’s investigation traces cattle raised illegally within the Apyterewa indigenous territory, stretching 7,738.2km2 over the Amazonian state of Pará, to the supply chains of JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, and Frigol, which operates two large slaughterhouses in the state. Cattle raised in Apyterewa, home of the Parakanã Indigenous Peoples, were found to have been moved to farms outside the indigenous land before being sold to JBS and Frigol slaughterhouses. Between 2008 and 2023, Apyterewa was the most heavily deforested indigenous land in the Brazilian Amazon, with 476km2 of its forests cleared – an area larger than New York City.
In response to EIA’s findings, Frigol said it had detected no irregularities with its direct suppliers, and that one of the farms implicated had provided the necessary declarations acceptable to the Federal Prosecutor's Office. JBS stated that it had blocked the farms in question and that, prior to this, its purchases were in compliance with its supply chain monitoring commitments and internal sourcing policy. [...]
The urgent need for the timely and effective enforcement of the EUDR – and the failure of European corporations to clean up their supply chains despite years of warnings – was evidenced in a documentary aired in March 2024 by major German public broadcaster, ARD. The investigation underpinning the documentary uncovers startling connections between the JBS's leather supply chains and deforestation. Astonishingly, 90 per cent of the leather is exported to major players including US-based Lear, a leading manufacturer of car seats which has BMW as one of its customers. [...]
Delay cannot be an option: the EUDR, implemented on time and effectively enforced, is imperative to ensuring European consumption stops driving deforestation overseas, and to meeting the EU’s climate and biodiversity goals.
Asked to comment on the allegations by the German broadcaster ARD BMW stated that it was in dialogue with Lear regarding the allegations and that it is continuously reducing its purchases of leather from South America. Lear did not respond to the ARD's request for comment.