PROFITING FROM THE PANTANAL’S DESTRUCTION
Greenpeace has identified 15 current or recent (2018– 2019) suppliers of Brazil’s leading meat processors,
Greenpeace between the ranchers and the big
JBS, Marfrig and Minerva, that are linked to the
three meat processors predate the 2020 fires. As
devastating 2020 fires in the Pantanal, environmental
confirmed by the company responses to Greenpeace
violations resulting in embargoes and/or property
regarding the cases laid out in this report,193 the
registration irregularities.
meat processors deem that all of the ranches that
188
Although use of fire was banned by regional
at the time of purchase. Further, at least 11 of the 15
for a number of months,189 in total more than 73,000 ha
ranchers apparently remain tier-one suppliers – ie
– an area larger than Singapore and about half the size
have at least one property approved to directly
of Greater London
supply at least one of the meat processors.194
190
– burned within the boundaries
of the case study properties between 1 July and 27
In the case of JBS, three of its current tier-one
October 2020, and in many cases these fires appear to
approvals appear to violate its sourcing policy, as
have contributed to extensive burning far beyond the
does one of its historic trading relationships – and
property limits.
its assessment of the suppliers’ compliance conflicts with that of Minerva in some instances.195 One of
processors to ensure they have adequate due diligence
Marfrig’s historic trading relationships similarly
procedures in place to guarantee that dirty cattle from
appears to violate its sourcing policy,196 despite the
rogue ranchers linked to environmental destruction or
company’s assertions about compliance. Marfrig has
legal violations are excluded from their supply base.
not indicated that it intends to review these trade
Thirteen of the 15 ranchers identified by Greenpeace were tier-one suppliers: they directly
MAKING MINCEMEAT OF THE PANTANAL
directly supplied them met their policy requirements
governments and presidential decree from July 2020
These cases expose the failure of the meat
34
The supply chain links established by
relationships more closely. As for JBS, presented with the summary
supplied one or more of the meat processors from an
findings of this report, the company confirmed
approved ranch in 2018 or 2019 (the most recent period
to an industry journal that for the moment it has
for which analysis was possible).191 In the majority of
no intention to exclude suppliers – tier-one or
instances, the links between the case study properties
third-party – that violate its policies. Instead, the
themselves and the meat processors were indirect –
emphasis is on getting Amazon suppliers onto a
cattle from those properties passed through one or
monitoring platform by 2025:
more other ranches before being sent to slaughter.
‘Right now, we’re not going to block them
However, in most cases, the intermediary ranches were
[noncompliant suppliers], we’re going to try to help them
owned by the same individual.
solve the issue. Sometimes it’s paperwork, sometimes they
192
