Major supermarkets and fast food chains may be selling chicken fed soy grown on illegally deforested land in some of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. The report claims that there is.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, fast-food chains KFC and McDonald’s have announced new deals after climate change activists discovered that a major UK chicken supplier had links to a company repeatedly accused of deforestation in Brazil. forest protection laws.
One of Britain’s biggest chicken producers, which supplies supermarkets and other luxury brands with millions of birds each week, is doing business with a US commodity giant at the center of a controversy over soy production. It turned out.
This appears to be the first time a link has been found between two major meat companies.
Investigators traced the grain transporter from a soybean factory owned by a US company to a factory that supplies feed to the UK producer’s network of more than 800 consolidated poultry farms.
The study was carried out by climate change campaign group Mighty Earth and AGtivist, an organization that seeks to expose the dangers of industrial agriculture.
According to trade statistics, the UK imports more than three million tonnes of soy each year, 90% of which is used to feed animals raised for meat, mainly poultry. More than 70 percent of its soybeans come from Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
Through this supply chain, chicken distributors may be unknowingly buying soybeans from areas where trees have been illegally felled, according to a new Mighty Earth report.
The report is called a “foul act.”, We identified seven recent deforestation cases totaling 11,827 hectares in areas of Brazil that supply soy to the UK.
Brazil’s soybean industry is causing widespread ecological destruction. Researchers say Britain’s soy supply has significant links to Mato Grosso state, home to the Amazon rainforest, savannah and wetlands, which has some of the country’s worst deforestation rates.
Forests are key to fighting climate change by absorbing harmful greenhouse gases, as well as stemming the tide of biodiversity loss and providing habitat for wildlife.
This year, Brazil suffered its worst forest fires in decades (estimated at 50,000), further threatening some of the world’s most important ecosystems.
The report said factory farming was the main cause of the fires. Greenpeace investigators have previously blamed the fires on the expansion of soybean farming to feed chickens.
Brazil recorded Burnt area increased by 149% According to MapBiomas Brasil, last month compared to August last year.
The report calls for strong UK environmental laws to end soy deforestation in the poultry sector, without which major retailers and fast food chains will be unable to avoid illegal deforestation by their suppliers. He warns.
Law reform has been delayed under the Conservatives, and Mighty Earth is urging Labor to bring it forward.
the government said independent person The company was planning an announcement about its policy.
Numerous studies have revealed how millions of birds in the UK are suffering in overcrowded intensive care facilities, growing at exceptional and unnatural rates on a diet of high-protein soybean meal.
Gemma Hoskins, Mighty Earth UK Senior Director and report author, “Supermarkets and fast food chains rely on such suppliers for a steady supply of cheap, factory-farmed chicken.
“The UK government must not only legislate transparent public reporting and act urgently to drive out deforestation, but also take a hard look at our food system and its impact on forests. Yes, nature and animal welfare.”
A spokesperson for the UK chicken supplier said: “We believe the sustainable sourcing of soy is a key challenge for the global food industry and we are committed to proactively addressing it.” He added: our promise. ”
A KFC UK spokesperson said: “Our suppliers must clear and convert forests by the end of 2025 and we assess their progress annually as part of our publicly available soy report. ” he said. We are holding a dedicated meeting to review our compliance plan for our soy sourcing policy for 2025. ”
KFC is a member of the British Roundtable on Sustainable Soy and EFECA, they added.
Sainsbury’s referred to the BRC’s statement. Sophie de Saris, the company’s sustainability advisor, said: “Retailers are committed to tackling deforestation through industry-led initiatives such as the Soy Manifesto and increasing the amount of certified sustainable soy in their supply chains. We have worked together to increase this.”
“Retailers continue to meet their targets, but legislative action is urgently needed to address this important issue, which is why the UK and Brazilian governments have long been committed to implementing tougher measures against deforestation.” The UK Government must promote UK forest risk product regulation.”
Neither Tesco nor McDonald’s responded to requests for comment.
