It is a globally known symbol: the golden arches can be seen in many
countries around the world. But whatever the fast food giant wants you
to believe the golden arches stand for, McDonald's today stands for
rainforest destruction. And that is one very 'Unhappy Meal' for the
planet.
Greenpeace said McDonald's Corp. was fueling the destruction of the
Amazon rainforest by using soybeans grown in the region as feed for
chickens that end up served in the fast-food chain's European
restaurants.
In a reported entitled, "Eating up the Amazon," the environmental
group said it has traced soy beans grown in illegally deforested areas
of the rainforest to McDonald's restaurants, as well as other
restaurant chains and supermarkets across Europe.
"Fast Food giants like McDonald's are trashing the Amazon for cheap
meat. Every time you buy a Chicken McNugget you could be taking a bite
out of the Amazon," Greenpeace forests campaign coordinator Gavin
Edwards said by telephone from London.
The
journey from rainforest to restaurant might sound simple enough but it
has taken a year-long investigation using satellite images, aerial
surveillance, previously unreleased government documents and
on-the-ground monitoring to expose. What we found was a global
trade in soya from rainforest destruction in the Amazon to McDonald's
fast food outlets and supermarkets across Europe.
"This crime
stretches from the heart of the Amazon across the entire European food
industry. Supermarkets and fast food giants, like McDonald's, must make
sure their food is free from the links to the Amazon destruction,
slavery and human rights abuses" Greenpeace forests campaign co-ordinator, Gavin Edwards.
Most of the global trade in
soya is controlled by a small number of massive traders: Cargill, Bunge
and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). In Brazil, this cartel plays the role
of bank to the farmers. Instead of providing loans they give farmers
seed, fertiliser and herbicides in return for soya at harvest: Bunge
alone provided the equivalent of nearly US$1 billion worth of seed,
fertiliser and herbicides to Brazilian farmers in 2004.
This
gives the companies indirect control over huge areas of land that used
to be rainforest. Together, these three companies are responsible for
around 60 percent of the total financing of soya production in Brazil.
Banks too have been caught up in the
destruction of the Amazon. The International Finance Corporation (IFC),
the private lending arm of the World Bank, wrongly assessed a loan to
Grupo Andre Maggi as being of 'low environmental risk,' despite
evidence to the contrary. Other banks have also lent huge sums of money
to the company without conducting their own environmental or social
impact audits.
So far, Rabobank, the Netherlands' biggest
agricultural bank has lent over US$330 million to Grupo Andre Maggi.
Rabobank admitted that it didn't do its own assessment of the risk of
the loans, simply accepting the (flawed) assessment of the IFC.
So fast food and supermarkets, soya traders and big banks are all trashing the Amazon rainforest. SHAME ON THEM!!!
