Six European supermarket chains, including Albert Heijn, Lidl, and a subsidiary of the French Carrefour, are stopping the sale of Brazilian beef products due to links between their agriculture and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
Most of the boycotted products are linked to the world's largest meat corporation, JBS SA, because it indirectly uses cattle from illegally deforested areas, and the origin of which is concealed when sold to a slaughterhouse.
JBS said in a response that it does not tolerate illegal deforestation and has already blocked more than 14,000 suppliers for not complying with the rules. For meat production in Europe, soy from Brazil is imported. Nevedi, the trade association for the Animal Feed Industry, states that all soy purchased in the Netherlands is certified, but other European countries have not yet reached that point.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon region, the world's largest tropical rainforest, has increased sharply since right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019 and rolled back environmental protections. He said he wants to expand Brazilian agriculture to lift the region out of poverty. Most of the stripped land is used for livestock farming.
Albert Heijn, a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, has announced it will completely stop importing beef from Brazil. The company states it currently handles small quantities of salted and dried Brazilian beef.
Carrefour Belgium and Delhaize are stopping the sale of Jack Link’s dried beef. JBS and Jack Link have a joint venture that produces shakily. Jack Link has not responded to requests for comment.
In Great Britain, J Sainsbury Plc and Sainsbury’s UK will stop purchasing corned beef from Brazil, which accounts for 90% of the total supply.