Cargill Announces Commitment to Eliminate Ecosystem Destruction Linked to Key Commodities Across Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay by 2025
Mighty Earth calls for immediate implementation and an extension of Cargill’s commitment to other deforestation hot spots including Bolivia, Paraguay, and Colombia
Mighty Earth CEO Glenn Hurowitz said:
“Cargill’s new commitment to eliminate ecosystem destruction in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay linked to soy, corn, wheat and cotton by 2025 is an important but incomplete step for nature, climate, and communities.
“As a top driver of ecosystem destruction in Latin America, Cargill’s commitment can make a big difference on the ground if fully implemented. But we have two significant concerns with the company’s announcement.
“First, there’s no reason why nature should get protection in only these three countries – and why it shouldn’t be protected immediately. Cargill is one of the top drivers of nature destruction in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Colombia. Bolivia experienced a 32% increase in primary forest loss between 2021 and 2022 – four times the rate of Brazil. This is, in part, due to Cargill’s continued willingness to buy from suppliers engaged in deforestation.
“Second, Cargill’s commitment effectively gives the green light for deforestation for a further 18 months, because it doesn’t go into effect until 2025 and lacks any mention of a cut-off date – the date non-compliant supply is not permissible. We’re calling on Cargill – along with the signatories of the COP27 Agribusiness Roadmap – to agree to a cut off date of 2020 to ensure this incomplete policy does not spark a ‘race to bulldoze’ in biomes such as the Grand Chaco and the Chiquitano ahead of 2025.
“Cargill’s commitment should spark accelerated action by food and agriculture companies on deforestation in the lead-up to the COP28 climate summit. This news should also be a wake-up call for competitors like ADM, who recently announced an even weaker policy to eliminate deforestation by 2027. Given Cargill’s historic leading role in driving forest destruction, their commitment should be considered an absolute baseline. Today, we have written to Cargill’s competitors to urge acceleration of their commitments.
“Given Cargill’s track record, Mighty Earth will continue to closely monitor cases of deforestation in Cargill’s supply chains.”
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Previous Mighty Earth reports about Cargill:
- Cargill named “The Worst Company in the World”
- Scandal: How Cargill sank the COP27 deal to end soy-driven deforestation, see “Cargill: Still the Worst”
- The Avoidable Crisis (focus on Paraguay and Argentina)
- Promises, Promises – Analysis of Cargill and other companies’ recent deforestation in Brazil
- Tesco: A basket of problems for the Amazon
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Sydney Jones, Press Secretary, [email protected]
