DEFORESTATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE AMAZON:

REPRESENTATIVES OF ORIGINAL PEOPLES AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS SUBMIT CASINO TO JUSTICE.

Cattle ranching is the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon. According to data from INPE (Brazilian National Institute of Space Research), in 2021 11 957 km2 were deforested in the Brazilian Amazon, 13,8 % more than the previous year.. ¹

Cattle ranching is the main cause, 70% of the deforestation in the Amazon is transformed into pasture². Investigations conducted for nearly 10 years have constantly pointed the finger at the role and responsibility of slaughterhouses and distributors. Not only do they regularly source beef from recently deforested areas, but they turn a blind eye to “cattle laundering” practices aimed at circumventing Brazilian legislation. These practices allow farms responsible for environmental or social crimes to sell their beef with impunity.

Cattle breeding in Colombia presents similar problems. Indeed, it is also the main vector of deforestation and the importance of cattle farming is growing. However, in this country, traceability is even less existing than in Brazil, making it even more difficult to control deforestation in the supply chains.

1 http://terrabrasilis.dpi.inpe.br/app/dashboard/deforestation/biomes/legal_amazon/increments
2 https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-beef-industry-fueling-amazon-rainforest-destruction-deforestation/