A major shipping company has transported more than 500,000 tonnes of beef and leather from deforestation-linked slaughterhouses in Brazil over two years, equivalent to half of the UK’s annual beef consumption.
We analyzed new data from consulting firm AidEnvironment Investigative reporting bureau Twelve meat factories operated by Brazil’s three largest beef companies, JBS, Malfrig and Minerva, have been linked to at least 4,600 square kilometers of forest loss between August 2021 and July 2023, the study showed. , which is an area three times the size of London.
According to shipping records, MSC transported the largest amount of beef and hides from 12 slaughterhouses, at around 190,000 tonnes. This was followed by Maersk (over 119,000 tonnes), Hamburg Sud (acquired by Musk in 2017) and Hapag-Lloyd (87,000 tonnes). CMA CGM shipped 46,000 tonnes, the fifth-highest volume for the period.
deforestation
TBIJ’s analysis is the first of its kind to show the amount of deforestation-risked cattle products transported by shipping companies to major markets including China, the United States and the European Union (EU).
This follows the EU’s decision to postpone legislation that would require companies to ensure certain products they import are free from deforestation, including beef, soybeans, rubber and palm oil. The EU confirmed that shippers are not directly affected by the new law because they have not purchased the product.
However, Marie Toussaint, the lawmaker who worked on the EU law, told TBIJ that shippers “will have an important role to play in carrying out due diligence.” He said the TBIJ study underscores the “urgency to take action” to stop deforestation.
Alex Wijeratna, senior director of campaign group Mighty Earth, said: “Big shipping companies drive billions of dollars of global trade in deforestation-risking products like beef and leather behind the scenes. But when it comes to legal liability, they are ignored. is.”
exposure
“Shipping companies need to step up their efforts to move goods with sustainable supply chains and free of illegal deforestation,” said Holly Gibbs, director of the Global Land Use and Environment Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There is,” he said.
Nicole Polsteller, from campaign group Fern, said: “It’s not just chainsaw-wielding people who are to blame for deforestation… all links in the supply chain that profit from contaminated products should be legally held accountable. They must take responsibility.”
Following TBIJ’s findings, CMA-CGM is committed to limiting the impact of its activities on biodiversity and is developing new procedures and informing its customers to ensure compliance with upcoming regulations. Then he said.
It added: “The CMA CGM Group is closely monitoring developments related to future European regulations regarding the import into and export of certain products related to deforestation to and from the EU market.”
