British supermarkets are to boycott Brazil if it goes ahead with a bill that could see further destruction to the Amazon rainforest.
Amongst those supermarkets standing up for the Amazon rainforest including Tesco and Asda.
It's not just supermarkets though that are standing up to protect the Amazon rainforest, there are also other retailers and fast food places - including Nando's and Burger King - that are standing up for the forest and advocating to boycott Brazil if they go ahead with destroying the forest.
A total of 40 different companies have signed a letter to protect the Amazon rainforest. The letter is addressed to Brazil's congress, who was set to vote on the bill yesterday. However, Brazil has now delayed the vote because of the companies saying they will boycott Brazil to protect the forest.
The letter to Brazil's congress from the companies says:
''To the Deputies and Senators of the National Congress of Brazil,
The Amazon is one of the most vital landscapes on our planet: it not only contains 30% of the world’s rainforest but it is also home to 10% of all known species. More crucially, the Amazon plays a critical role in regulating global climate, the water cycle as well as its role in system resilience which is fundamental for planetary health. We also recognise that it is also a crucial economic resource for Brazil, for both now and in the future.
Last year, widespread fires and destruction in the Amazon made news across the globe. As global businesses and investors with interests in Brazil, we have welcomed and wish to see a continuation of Brazil’s leadership on forest law and agreements like the Amazon Soy Moratorium. We know that we must ensure that protecting the Amazon is economically more attractive than destroying it, reflecting its true value to the world – and we want to work with all Brazilian stakeholders on this. What remains essential is that further destruction is halted.
We are deeply concerned about the Provisional Measure 910 (now changed to PL 2633/2020), that has been submitted to the Brazilian congress for a vote, and which would legalise the private occupation of public lands, mostly concentrated in the Amazon. Should the measure pass, it would encourage further land grabbing and widespread deforestation which would jeopardise the survival of the Amazon and meeting the targets of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and undermine the rights of indigenous and traditional communities. We believe that it would also put at risk the ability of organisations such as ours to continue sourcing from Brazil in the future.
We want to continue to source from and invest in Brazil and help ensure that protecting the Amazon can be economically productive for all. We urge the Brazilian government to reconsider its stance and hope to continue working with partners in Brazil to demonstrate that economic development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.''
You can see the letter and the full list of companies that have signed it - here.
It's not just retailers that have shown concern over Brazil's new bill that could see the Amazon cleared, it's also scientists and environmentalists that have shown concern.
For now, though, voting on the vote has been delayed. It remains to be seen whether this bill will be voted on and passed at some point in the near future.
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