Mighty Earth responds to the Fires in the Amazon

As the Amazon continues to burn at a record rate, Mighty Earth CEO Glenn Hurowitz released the following statement:

“People around the world are battling despair and a sense of helplessness, wondering what can be done to address this ongoing disaster. The answer is to hold people accountable and immediately remove the market incentives that promote this reckless environmental destruction.

“The people who started many of these fires did so in support of Bolsonaro’s policies to develop the Amazon, but they also clear forests because they know that companies will still buy their ill-gotten goods. Major food companies like Stop & Shop and McDonald’s are willing to look the other way while the Amazon burns.

“No more. It’s time for companies like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Ahold Delhaize – which owns Stop & Shop as well as Hannaford, Food Lion, Pea Pod and Giant supermarkets – to halt contracts with companies that have major ties to Brazilian agribusiness, like Cargill and JBS, until the situation is remedied.”

*Photo credit: Fire burns in Brazilian forest (2017, Jim Wickens/Ecostorm).Brazil’s space agency says a record number of fires like these are burning