REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File PhotoBrazilian meatpackers JBS SA , Marfrig and Minerva purchased thousands of cattle linked to deforestation of the Amazon rainforest since 2018, advocacy group Greenpeace Brasil alleged in a report published on Thursday. Ranching is a major driver of Amazon rainforest deforestation, which surged in Brazil last year to an 11-year high. During that period, at least 4,000 cattle were moved to Barra Mansa from a nearby ranch, called Paredao, according to Greenpeace. Paredao is illegally located inside a state park that has been largely deforested, according to land registry records and satellite deforestation data. A lack of end-to-end tracking in Brazil's cattle market makes it difficult for the buyers to know for certain if beef is linked to deforestation, according to Greenpeace.

Source: Irish Independent June 04, 2020 03:00 UTC