US Cargill faces legal challenge over Amazon deforestation, violations

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 May 2023 11:58

US grain trader Cargill is accused of "shoddy due diligence" on deforestation and human rights abuses.

In this Nov. 25, 2019 file photo, highway BR-163 stretches between the Tapajos National Forest, left, and a soy field in Belterra, Para state, Brazil (AP)

US grain trader Cargill is facing a first-ever legal challenge in the United States following accusations of inadequate monitoring and a laggard response to the decline of the Amazon rainforest and other globally important biomes, most notably the Cerrado savannah and the Atlantic Forest.

The formal complaint was filed by ClientEarth, an environmental law organization.

The case, which was delivered under the guidelines of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, contends that Cargill’s “shoddy due diligence raises the risk that the meat sold in supermarkets across the world is raised on so-called ‘dirty’ soy."

ClientEarth said this violates the international code of responsible business conduct.

The attorneys who filed the complaint have emphasized the seriousness of the situation since scientists predict that the Amazon would eventually degrade to the point where it will become dry grassland and release enormous volumes of carbon dioxide. The Cerrado, an ecoregion similar to the Amazon, has already lost half of its tree cover.

The attorneys said they are hopeful that the legal action will improve standards at Cargill, the largest privately owned business in the US with $165 billion in revenue last year (£131 billion), and serve as an example for other businesses in the sector.

It is worth noting that Cargill has pledged to end all deforestation from its supply chains by 2030 and to be "deforestation-free" in the Amazon and Cerrado by 2025. The business claims that at ports, warehouses, and other locations along its supply chain, it has set up a comprehensive monitoring operation.

ClientEarth also cited reports that contend Cargill suppliers have violated the rights of Indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, and other populations that depend on the forest.