British supermarkets today issued a new warning to Brazil that they could stop sourcing products from the country if it passes a law which threatens the Amazon.
Retailers including Tesco, Aldi, Marks & Spencer, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Waitrose and Iceland are among those raising fears over a new effort by Brazil to legalise the private occupation of public land, mostly in the Amazon.
Asda, Morrisons and Greggs are also included on a list of dozens of companies signing an open letter warning against the proposed law, along with other retailers, producers, investors and industry bodies.
It is feared the move, which was first attempted a year ago but was withdrawn after more than 40 major organisations made the same threat over supply chain sourcing, will drive deforestation.
Conservationists have previously warned it will legitimise previous illegal land grabs and pave the way for more forests to be burned and cleared for agriculture such as beef and soy, used as an animal feed for livestock.
Among the products stocked in UK supermarkets from Brazil are the Union Hand-Roasted Coffee Bobolink Brazil Cafetière Grind at Sainsburys from Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (left), and the Brazilian Pinot Noir from Serra Gaucha at Aldi (right)
Tesco Organic Fair Trade Brazil Nuts are collected from the Amazon rainforest (left) and Asda corned beef is from Brazil (right)
They have also said it will make it harder to meet international targets to tackle climate change, as forests are huge carbon stores, and undermine the rights of indigenous communities in the region.
In the open letter to Brazilian politicians, the businesses said the new law being put forward for a vote posed ‘potentially even greater threats to the Amazon than before’.
The companies warn that in the past year they had seen circumstances ‘result in extremely high levels of forest fires and deforestation in Brazil’ and that the targets and budgets to reduce the problem were inadequate.
Existing protections and land designations enshrined in Brazilian law help companies have trust that their products and investments are aligned with the commitments they have as environmentally and socially responsible businesses, they wrote.
British supermarkets including Waitrose have warned Brazil that they could stop sourcing products from the country
A fallen tree lies in an area of the Amazon jungle that was cleared by loggers and farmers near Porto Velh in Brazil last August
The companies say they want to help develop sustainable land management and agriculture in Brazil, and support economic development while upholding indigenous community rights, without putting at risk progress in protecting vital natural systems that are essential for the world.
‘However, if this or other measures that undermine these existing protections become law, we will have no choice but to reconsider our support and use of the Brazilian agricultural commodity supply chain,’ the letter warned.
Cathryn Higgs, head of food policy at the Co-op, said: ‘The Amazon faces a new threat with legislation that undermines the credibility of environmental protections.
‘Its rainforest is essential to planetary health and it’s imperative the proposed legislation isn’t given any airtime by the Brazilian government.
Logs are stacked at a lumber mill surrounded by recently charred and deforested fields near Porto Velho in Brazil in 2019
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is pictured in Brasilia in March. Major British food companies and supermarkets have raised concerns over a new effort by Brazil to legalise the private occupation of public land, mostly in the Amazon
‘We are joining forces with environmentally and socially responsible organisations to oppose the measures being put forward. If these new laws are brought in we will have no choice but to reconsider our support and use of the Brazilian agricultural commodity supply chain.’
Mike Barrett, executive director of science and conservation at WWF-UK, said: ‘We cannot fight the climate crisis without the Amazon, yet its future hangs in the balance as deforestation pushes it closer to the point of collapse.
‘If passed, this vote in the Brazilian Congress will fuel further destruction and place greater risk on the lives of the people and wildlife who call it home.
‘As global efforts to protect the Amazon threaten to be undermined, it’s encouraging to see major businesses sounding the alarm.’