August 15, 2009

Bertin joins anti-Amazon cattle lineup

Brazil's second largest beef exporter, Bertin, has signed a pact with environmental group Greenpeace to refuse purchases of cattle reared in recently deforested parts of the Amazon.

The company will register and map all farms from which it buys cattle directly within the next six months and by 2011, expand systems that allow it to trace cattle from the farms to its facilities, including rearing and nursery farms.

Bertin vice president Fernando Falco said they already had a system to avoid buying from illegally deforested areas but they are now including legally cleared areas.

He said the company is speeding up its monitoring system and adhering to a social cause.

Bertin's initiative includes the whole Amazon biome, where it has seven units. It will use satellite images to map cattle ranches and ban purchases from deforested areas, effective June 2009.

Bertin's announcement comes after meatpacker Marfrig signed a similar pact with the state government of Mato Grosso, which has the biggest cattle herd in Brazil. 

Brazil's beef sector has been criticised for its role in deforestation of the world's largest rain forest. Greenpeace this year also released a report linking the beef business with illegal deforestation, leading key Brazilian retailers to halt purchases from some suppliers.