Sainsbury’s is one of six European supermarkets to stop selling some or all beef products from Brazil following concerns over links to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The move comes after research by Repórter Brasil and Mighty Earth found evidence of 'cattle laundering' involving meat conglomerate JBS, which allegedly sourced cattle indirectly from illegally deforested areas.
Cattle laundering occurs when animals raised on illegally deforested land are moved to a clean farm to be fattened before slaughter, hiding their true origin. Critics say the practice is widespread in Brazil, allowing livestock from 'dirty' farms to mix with those from clean ones.
In Sainsbury’s case, researchers found corned beef processed at a JBS slaughterhouse in São Paulo that had received cattle from a farm sourcing animals from embargoed farms sanctioned for illegal deforestation. Sainsbury’s said it will move its own-brand corned beef sourcing away from Brazil to ensure it is deforestation-free.
JBS, which slaughters nearly 35,000 cattle daily in Brazil, told the Guardian it has 'no tolerance for illegal deforestation' and has blocked over 14,000 supplier farms. It is investing in a blockchain system to monitor indirect suppliers, aiming for a deforestation-free supply chain by 2025.
The Guardian and Bureau of Investigative Journalism previously uncovered evidence of JBS trucks transporting cattle from fined 'dirty' ranches to clean ones that supplied JBS. JBS disputed the findings but later launched a platform to monitor its full supply chain, including previously unmonitored indirect suppliers in the Amazon.
