Working with Greenpeace, Timberland released a policy that will
require its leather suppliers to commit to a moratorium on
purchasing any cattle raised in newly deforested areas within the
Amazon Rainforest. Given the cattle industry is Brazil's top source
of greenhouse gas emissions and the largest driver of deforestation
in the world, a moratorium on cattle expansion is a critical
component of any Zero Deforestation policy in Brazil that aims to
reduce forest-related greenhouse gas emissions.
"Timberland has raised the bar for environmentally and socially
responsible leather sourcing policies in the Amazon. They have
taken an important step by not only committing to avoid leather
from cattle raised in newly deforested areas, but by working with
existing suppliers like Bertin, to move the Brazilian cattle sector
toward supporting a moratorium on any new cattle expansion into the
Amazon Rainforest," said Lindsey Allen, Greenpeace forests
campaigner.
Greenpeace report has made major impact
The statement from Timberland comes less than a week after Nike announced a policy of its own that would
prevent the company from sourcing any leather from the Amazon until
deforestation for cattle expansion is halted. Both announcements
follow the release of a Greenpeace report entitled "Slaughtering the Amazon," which documents a
three-year investigation that tracked beef, leather and other
cattle products from ranches involved in deforestation at the heart
of the Amazon rainforest, as well as the invasion of indigenous
lands and slavery, to the supply chains of top brands.
The report's release precipitated a string of welcome news for
the Amazon and the climate since June 1st, when it was released.
The next day, the Public Prosecution Office in Brazil's Para State
announced that it was opening a billion-dollar lawsuit against several farms
and various companies operating there, including one slaughterhouse
owned by Brazil's cattle giant Bertin.
On June 12th came news that several major grocery store chains
in Brazil, including Wal-Mart and Carrefour, had banned beef purchased from the farms accused
by the Para state prosecutor's offfice of being involved in illegal
deforestation. The very next day, the International Finance
Corporation (IFC), the private lending arm of the World Bank,
announced that it was withdrawing a $90 million dollar loan to
Bertin.
Then, on June 22nd, the world's fourth largest beef trader, Marfrig, announced a moratorium that would
prevent the company from buying cattle raised in newly deforested
areas within the Amazon. The move by Marfrig came after the
"Slaughtering the Amazon" report had thrust an international
spotlight on Marfrig, Bertin, JBS and other leading cattle
companies for driving Amazon deforestation and climate change.
Take action! Say thank you to Timberland.
The demand for leather means more Amazon rainforest cleared to
graze cattle. Timberland stepped it up a notch with its suppliers
to help eliminate Amazon destruction from the leather sector in
Brazil. Take action now >> Thank Timberland for putting its foot down and
doing its part to Save the Amazon.
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Thank Timberland for stepping it up a notch to help Save the Amazon