UK meat processors and food groups threaten Brazil boycott

In an open letter sent to politicians in Brazil, members from across the food and drink industry urged them to drop the relevant legislative proposal PL 510/21.

Signatories included meat processors Cranswick, Winterbotham Darby and Moy Park, the British Retail Consortium and Red Tractor Assurance – a full list can be found below.

The proposal would free up public land to private occupation, a plan that was attempted last year but abandoned after an international backlash. Should it go through, critics claim it would lead to accelerated deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

‘Inadequate targets’ ​

In the open letter, the signatories claimed the measures were counter to the narrative and rhetoric seen internationally from Brazil. It also highlighted the ‘increasingly inadequate’ targets from the Brazilian government to counter deforestation and the budgets available to deliver them.

“The existing protections and land designations enshrined in Brazilian legislation have been instrumental in our organisations having trust that our products, services, investments and business relationships in Brazil are aligned with the commitments we hold as environmentally and socially responsible enterprises, and that our customers and stakeholders expect of us,” ​read the letter.

Willing partners ​

“Our door remains open to work with Brazilian partners on supporting the development of sustainable land management and agriculture.​

“We are willing partners to enable this in a way that supports economic development whilst upholding the rights of indigenous peoples and traditional communities.”​

The letter urged the Brazilian government to support these goals without putting at risk the progress that Brazil has made so far in protecting the vital ecosystems that are essential for the health of the world.

“However, if this or other measures that undermine these existing protections become law, we will have no choice but to reconsider our support and use of the Brazilian agricultural commodity supply chain,” ​the letter added.  “We urge the Brazilian government to reconsider its proposal.”​

Meanwhile, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Tate & Lyle and Greencore were just some of the food processors announcing environmental initiatives before or during Earth Day 2021 on 22 April.​​