“Loophole lets soya farmers tear down the Amazon”, 19 May 2021

...An investigation has uncovered how three of the world’s biggest food businesses have purchased soya from companies whose supply chains have been the subject of concerns over links to illegal deforestation and forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon. Cargill, Bunge and Cofco sourced soybeans from the Chinese-owned Fiagril and the multinational Aliança Agrícola do Cerrado, both of which have been supplied by a farmer fined and sanctioned multiple times after destroying swathes of rainforest...The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Unearthed and Repórter Brasil used satellite images and enforcement records to uncover how soya was illegally planted on land that had previously been placed under embargo...Fiagril and Aliança have exported millions of tonnes of Brazilian soya in recent years to China, Saudi Arabia and Russia as well as Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and the UK...The findings highlight how so-called “dirty” soya – linked to illegal Amazon deforestation – could find its way into supposedly “clean” international supply chains, despite apparently robust mechanisms, widely supported by green groups, designed to halt destruction of the rainforest for soya...Sarah Lake, of the campaign group Mighty Earth…[:]...“Traders continue to make claims regarding sustainable soy while simultaneously turning a blind eye to suppliers like these that illegally deforest and set fires. And their customers continue to purchase from them”...Fiagril told the Bureau that it condemns illegal activity...Aliança said: “Since its creation, Aliança has always operated in strict terms of legality, observing all Brazilian and international legislation, including environmental laws.” Cargill told the Bureau it would investigate matters raised regarding Fiagril and Aliança as a result of the revelations...Fiagril said that it did not source soya from areas embargoed due to environmental damage...Bunge said it has not purchased soybeans from Aliança since 2017, and that Fiagril had not supplied them with soybeans from Marcelândia...Cargill said it did not source soya “directly” from Perinoto...Cofco said: “We conduct monthly internal audits as well as annual external audits on suppliers’ compliance with the Moratorium”...