Slaughtering the Forest, Slaughter the Forest. Greenpeace Argentina's report in July 2019 showed the extraordinary pace of deforestation imposed by the local beef industry. (1) First Cresud, the first Argentine agro-industrial group listed in Buenos Aires and Wall Street, which also supplies the Metro group. Our short shelf survey of Metro Italia, al cash & carry of Turin. Buycott!
Gran Chaco. Ecosystems and indigenous communities, land devastation and robbery
The Gran Chaco it is the second forest in South America, extended in Argentina and Paraguay, Bolivia and to a small extent also in Brazil. It is one of the largest biodiversity reserves on the planet, with over 3.400 species of plants, 500 of birds, 150 mammals, 120 reptiles and 100 amphibians. And it is seriously threatened, as seen, from a wild deforestation that has intensified in recent years.
4 million people - equal to 80% of the inhabitants of Ireland - live in the Gran Chaco. Small farmers, mainly, and indigenous communities (8%). The Quechua word, which we all associate with the brand of sportswear sold by Decathlon, is the name of the language spoken by the ethnic groups of this area. E 'Chaku', in the Quechua idiom, means hunting place. Everyone depends on its vast forest for food, water, woods and medicine.
I farmers and indigenous peoples they have inhabited these lands since time immemorial, without however holding property titles. And in the last two decades, with the advance of agro-industry, they have been and still are chased away with more and more frequent murders and violence by the police and private militias of the farmers. Which then proceed with the deforestation and poisoning of water and land with massive doses of pesticides, to prevent any different use of the areas. Before starting GMO soybean monocultures and bringing beef cattle.
Cresud, the champion of Risiko
The export of beef from Argentina almost tripled between 2012 and 2018, with a record increase (+ 77%) from 2017 to 2018. One of its protagonists is the Cresud group, which owns more than 800.000 hectares - equal to 1/5 of the 'Holland (!) - in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. The Argentine colossus manages 360 ° bovine zootechnics, from the cultivation of cereals and soy GMOs to breeding, abattoirs and meat production. To sweeten the view, a little sugar cane.
The agro-industry it is the armed wing of big finance. The imperative is to conquer territories, make them profit and maximize their yields. According to cliche described on the Cresud website:
- acquire 'underutilized' land holdings to transform non-productive land into pasture for livestock,
- transform farming areas into land for more productive and profitable agricultural uses,
- transform rural properties into urban areas, in the last phase of the real estate development cycle,
- replicate the model 'in other Latin American countries, including Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay '.
'We believe it is possible improve the productivity and long-term value of low-cost and / or underdeveloped land by investing in new technologies such as high-yielding genetically modified seeds, (..) use of fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. Livestock production to improve our genetic technology (...)
Argentine meats in Metro Italia, deforestation in our home
The Metro group - global colossus of cash & carry - declares its commitment to the 'Corporate Social Responsibility'. Referring to 'the integration, in the commercial operations of companies and in their relations with interested parties (stakeholders), of social and ecological concerns, through a voluntary process of self-regulation'. (1)
On Argentine meats, in the area of the website dedicated to the 'Metro supply chains', you can read the bucolic story of a couple of suppliers who would practice extensive farming in the vast plains of the Pampas. (2)
All compliant to 'principles of environmental sustainability ', at least in words. Thus the 'Frigorìfico Gorina SAIC' and in general the beef suppliers of the American continent such as 'La Anonima', 'Marfrig Global Foods', 'Oakey Beef Exports'.
Metro continues though to also sell the meat of the conqueror Cresud, who is still accredited on his list of suppliers. As confirmed to us by an employee of the cash & carry of Turin, where we went on 3.10.19. 'It all depends on the purchases that are made on the upper floors, from Metro International'. When the offer is good, it takes the load. However, Metro meats from the American continent are never lacking, as shown in the Attachment.
Meat origin in the restaurant, the lack of transparency
The managers of restaurants, trattorias and canteens - in Italy as in Europe - are the largest customers of the South American slaughterhouse of deforestation. But if consumers knew where this meat comes from and knew its environmental and social impact, would they order it? And wouldn't they rather be willing to spend an extra coin for guaranteed national meat?
The indication of origin of meat in collective catering must be made mandatory in Italy, as we have been asking for years. And as is already the case in France, where users of restaurants and taverns, fast food and canteens the right to transparency on the origin and provenance of the meat served to them has been recognized for years. (3)
Transparency it is all the more urgent to allow consumers to consciously choose meat that comes from truly sustainable supply chains and traced as such, even better if - on a voluntary basis - with the support of a technological guarantee such as la blockchain public.
#Buycott! American meats, GMO soy and palm oil
THEMercosur-EU agreement is set to attract growing volumes of GMO meat and soybeans from those countries. This accelerates the globalization of an exploitation that starts from the robbery of the lands, the deforestation and the poisoning of ecosystems.
#Buycott! American meats, GMO soy and palm oil. Sign the petition on https://www.egalite.org/buycott-petizione/
Dario Dongo and Giulia Caddeo
Footnotes
(1) See Green Peace Argentina (2019). Slaughtering the Forest
See also FAO. (2016). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015, second edition. ISBN 978-92-5-109283-5, http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4793e.pdf
(2) On the Metro Italia website it is stated that
'land FILIERE meats come from selected farms within production areas. Our suppliers guarantee high standards in terms of productivity and technology, respecting animal welfare and environmental sustainability. (…) Supply chain sustainability means meat produced in the traditional way, in full respect of the environment and animals. An integrated approach to the product in which the guiding values are authenticity, safety, typicality and ethics. In fact, our suppliers also adopt work and employment policies to protect the territory'. See https://www.metro.it/metro-piu/piu-servizio/materie-prime/carne
(3) The details on our decree proposal in the previous article https://www.foodagriculturerequirements.com/archivio-notizie/origine-carni-bovine-al-ristorante-lo-schema-di-decreto-legge-del-consorzio-l-italia-zootecnica-analisi-di-dettaglio_1
Attachment - Metro Italia, Turin. American meats available, brands and prices. Detection 3.10.19
PICANA BOV ADULT ARGENTINA PCS PER KG 17.50 EURO - Gorina refrigerator
RUDE HEART ANGUS PARAGUAY PCS PER KG 10.50 EURO - Aberdeen Paraguay
RUDE HEART BOV ADULT BRAZIL PCS PER KG 11.99 EURO - Marfrig Global Foods SA
ANGUS PARAGUAY FILLET PCS PER KG 20.50 EURO - Aberdeen Paraguay
THREAD S / cord brazil s / v ¾ 19.99 euro per kg - Marfrig Global Foods SA
ENTRECOTE (CUBE ROLL) BOV AD BRAZIL EURO 11.99 PER KG - Aberdeen Paraguay
ENTRECOTE (CUBE ROLL) ANGUS PARAGUAY EURO 15.99 PER KG - Aberdeen Paraguay
ENTRECOTE (CUBE ROLL) BOV IN ARGENTINA EURO 18.50 PER KG - Marfrig Global Foods SA
MAGATELLO BOV IN AUSTRALIA WAGYU EURO 10.99 PER KG - Oakey Beef Exports LDT
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in law, master in Food, Law & Finance. You have explored the theme of green procurement and urban food policies in the International Cooperation and Peace sector of the City of Turin.
