July 26, 2010

Brazilian meat processors suspend purchases from conservation areas

JBS Friboi, Marfrig Alimentos and Minerva, have suspended cattle purchases from 221 ranches located on indigenous land, conservation areas or near recently-deforested areas in the Amazon, according to reports submitted to Greenpeace.

Last year, the companies signed pacts to change their practices after Greenpeace released its "Slaughtering the Amazon" report exposing links between cattle ranching in the Amazon region and deforestation.

"The initiative shows that meatpackers understood, in a clear and definitive way, consumers' environmental concern message. This announcement indicates that the process is moving forward, that companies are taking steps on the matter," Greenpeace campaign coordinator Márcio Astrini said.

Astrini also said that by the end of the year, a much larger number of ranches will be excluded from the companies' cattle supplier list.