- The Plate
Supermarket Beef Is Battleground for Deforestation Debate
One of Brazil’s largest supermarkets, Pão de Açúcar, has agreed to stop selling beef produced on deforested land or with forced labor by June 1. But while advocates hailed the announcement, they also questioned whether the retailer was being realistic about the promises it’s making.
In late March, the retailer announced it would nix contracts with suppliers who do not follow two basic requirements. First, that the beef they sell has not been produced on ranches created by cutting down Amazonian rainforest. While deforestation for cattle has slowed in recent years, roughly 60 percent of Amazonian land that has been clear-cut is now used to raise cattle.