Brazilian supermarket body makes rainforest pledge
In a deal signed with the Federal Public Prosecutor’s office, the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS) has promised to encourage members to avoid meat from suppliers linked to deforestation, land-grabbing or slave labour.
ABRAS said it would mobilise its 2,800 members across Brazil to find suppliers that embrace sustainable beef production and to disclose the origin of beef products at point of sale and over the internet.
Before the agreement was signed in the capital of Brasilia, ABRAS president Fernando Yamada handed prosecutors the first draft of an action plan, which included suggestions for supermarket best-practice to avoid meat from Amazon regions where illegal activity is taking place.
Public prosecutor Daniel Cesar Azeredo Avelino said: “We hope that, soon, the major supermarket chains throughout the country will take actions such as certification and control of their suppliers, ensuring they do not accept those who deforest, use slave labour or practice activities that harm indigenous communities.”
Avelino added that while the initial focus would be on larger businesses, he hoped to create a similar deal with smaller supermarkets.
Land grabbing
A study published today (27 March) suggests that the decision by Brazilian supermarkets to exclude beef linked to land conflicts could have a significant effect on deforestation.
The study, which was carried out by the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment (IMAZON) and the University of Michigan, analysed 66 protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon and performed a critical analysis of the Rapid Assessment and Prioritisation of Protected Area Management (RAPPAM) tool, which is used to prioritise and assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts.
The researchers found “no strong associations” between the avoidance of deforestation and RAPPAM scores that suggest an increased conservation effort, such as budget, staff and management plans. The only indicator from the RAPPAN that did have a strong association with avoiding deforestation was the absence of land tenure conflicts.
“When there was no unsettled land tenure dispute, the success at avoiding deforestation was higher,” said the researchers.
“This suggests that land tenure conflicts may be such an important factor in shaping deforestation success that it overshadows the potential importance of other factors.
“Furthermore, it highlights the need for the Brazilian government to rapidly solve conflicts in order to conserve protected areas.”
