A Brazilian judge has ordered two beef slaughterhouses and three ranchers to pay $764,000 for contributing to deforestation in a protected Amazon rainforest area.
Two slaughterhouses, Distriboi and Frigon, were found guilty of buying cattle from illegally deforested land in Rondonia’s Jaci-Parana reserve.
The $764,000 penalty includes $453,000 for reforesting 232 hectares of land that was converted to pasture.
This case is one of several lawsuits seeking damages from companies involved in the illegal cattle trade in the Amazon.
Key quote:
“When a slaughterhouse, whether by negligence or intent, buys and resells products from invaded and illegally deforested reserves, it is clear that it is directly benefiting from these illegal activities.”
— Judge Inês Moreira da Costa
Why this matters:
The Amazon is vital for global climate regulation, and deforestation driven by cattle farming threatens its survival. Legal action against companies involved in illegal deforestation is crucial for protecting this essential ecosystem.
Researchers found that existing pledges have already reduced Amazon deforestation by 15%—if implemented across all companies, that number shoots up to 51%.
Coronavirus outbreaks at meatpacking plants have created a backlog of animals ready for slaughter but with nowhere to go. Farmers are having to cull them.
The executive action signals that decisions around whether to close or reopen plants should be driven by the federal government, not local authorities.
A relatively small number of plants process much of the beef and pork in the United States, and some of them have closed because workers are getting sick.
