June 18, 2009
Brazil retailers reject beef from deforested Amazon
Brazil's leading retailers have decided to stop buying beef produced in deforested areas of the Amazon, according to a statement by Abras, the country's supermarkets' association.
Retailers who joined the initiative are CBD and local subsidiaries of Wal-Mart and Carrefour.
The decision followed a report by environmental group Greenpeace claiming the beef industry is the largest contributor to the deforestation in the Amazon. The report prompted the prosecutor office in the Brazilian state of Para to ask retail groups, among others, to stop buying cattle-related products from deforested areas.
Abras said CBD, Wal-Mart and Carrefour will ban beef bought from farms that Para has accused of deforestation and will require transportation records from slaughterhouses.
