“As the Amazon burns, will you continue to do business with forest destroyers, fanning the flames of the fires?” says Brazilian Indigenous Leader, Sonia Guajajara.
Greenpeace are encouraging customers to take action against Tesco, after the supermarket’s produce has been linked to destruction of the Amazon.
Tesco buys chicken and pork from suppliers owned by Brazilian meat processing company JBS. Although these animals are farmed in the UK, they are fed on soya from Brazil – which is driving deforestation in the Amazon.
Forest fires are used by the industrial meat industry to clear vast areas of forest in the Amazon and elsewhere to use for cattle farms and soya plantations. JBS recently admitted it would accept deforestation in its supply chain for another 14 years.
Elena Polisano, senior forests campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “When Tesco sells you a British chicken, it won’t mention the forest crime that took place to produce it.
“Tesco’s chicken supplier is owned by a company notorious for destroying the Amazon rainforest. And Tesco’s chicken is reared on soya that’s driving deforestation and fires across Brazil.
“Indigenous Peoples are facing an assault on their rights as forests like the Amazon are being slashed and deliberately burned for industrial meat production. It’s killing wildlife, the risk of future pandemics is increasing and it’s playing havoc with the climate.”
Greenpeace are encouraging Tesco customers to take action against the supermarket, in the hope they will drop the forest destroying company from their supply chain.
The charity is providing action packs with placards, postcards and a letter for the local store manager.
Protestors have shared pictures of themselves on social media outside stores in Leicester, Huddersfield, Manchester, Southampton, Sheffield, Portsmouth and more.
They also suggest leaving a google review of a local Tesco store, asking bosses to change their practices or signing their petition.
This comes after Greenpeace activists targeted Tesco’s Annual General Meeting at headquarters in Welwyn Garden City in June.
Protestors held letters spelling out “forest crime” – one of which displayed a message from Brazilian Indigenous Leader, Sonia Guajajara.
The message read: “Tesco, you have a choice. As the Amazon burns, will you continue to do business with forest destroyers, fanning the flames of the fires?
“Or will you take your share of the responsibility and stop funding companies whose greed is destroying the forest and threatening our culture, our land and our lives?”
A spokesperson for Tesco said: “Clearing forest land for crops must stop – we are committed to fully playing our part to prevent further deforestation. We met our 2020 industry-wide target of certified ‘zero net deforestation’ for our own direct soy sourcing a year early.
“Recognising there is more to do, we have set an additional 2025 target to only source our UK soy from verified zero deforestation regions. Our suppliers meet our zero deforestation standards, and we are working with them to meet our 2025 goal.
“We oppose any weakening of forest protection laws and have called on the Brazilian Congress to uphold existing protections.”
Alexandra Warren is a freelance journalist.
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