UK firms urge Brazil to stop Amazon deforestation for soy production

[Judi Lynn]

Tesco and Asda are among 67 firms and investors who have written to President Bolsonaro

Jasper Jolly and Jillian Ambrose

Tue 3 Dec 2019 01.01 EST

Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and the UK’s largest asset manager are among 67 major companies and investors who have written to Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, urging his government to stop further deforestation of the Amazon for soy production.

The preservation of the Amazon rainforest, a vital sink for carbon dioxide, is widely considered by scientists and activists to be a priority in responding to the climate crisis. However, the Brazilian soy farmers’ association Aprosoja has mounted a campaign to end a voluntary ban on trading crops harvested from newly cleared land.

Aprosoja has claimed to have the backing of Bolsonaro, who has come under heavy international criticism as he advocated increased economic development of the Amazon even as vast fires burned swathes of rainforest during the summer. Many of those fires were started deliberately by farmers to clear land for crops or cattle.

The letter to the Brazilian government calls for the extension of the Amazon soy moratorium (ASM), a 2006 agreement signed by companies to prevent the use of new land for the production of soy. Soy is used mainly as agricultural feed, as well as a food for human consumption such as tofu and soy sauce.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/03/uk-firms-urge-brazil-to-stop-amazon-deforestation-for-soy-production

[democratisphere]

1. Too many humans live only for the moment with absolutely no consideration

for the future sustainability of THIS PLANET and all of the species that live upon it.