Several dozen major European supermarket chains are threatening to boycott Brazilian products if the country continues to cut down rainforest. The supermarkets say they will stop buying Brazilian products if the controversial legislation proceeds.
President Bolsonaro wants to legalize illegally deforested areas. Despite protests, large parts of the Amazon region are still being cleared for extensive cultivation of soybeans for the global food and animal feed industry, causing the planet to warm even faster.
The letter is signed by German, Dutch, English, French, and Swedish supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi, Albert Heijn, Marks & Spencer, Co-op, Metro, Migros, Cranswick, and Skandia.
The letter has already generated significant global publicity, including a prominent spot on BBC news and online, leading the signatories to hope that it will increase pressure on Brazil.
A similar letter was sent last year ahead of the expected introduction of the controversial bill, but the bill was then withdrawn. In the letter, the Brazilian government is urged to reconsider its proposal.
Under President Jair Bolsonaro's administration, deforestation in the Amazon has reached its highest level since 2008. This year, approximately 430,000 hectares of the Amazon have been cut down or burned. "If measures to protect nature are undermined, we have no choice but to reconsider our use of the Brazilian supply chain for agricultural raw materials," the letter concludes.