Fast food companies like KFC, McDonald’s and Burger King sourcing from Brazil cannot stand by as the Amazon is being torched, while they still use beef and soya from the country. These forests are typically cleared to produce meat and crops, which is fuelling the climate emergency.

Fast food companies must reject such products linked to recent and ongoing Amazon destruction. They should publicly speak out against Bolsonaro’s attacks on forests and Indigenous Peoples rights.

Global brands like The North Face, Vans and Timberland have stopped sourcing goods from Brazil until they can be sure their products are not linked with Amazon destruction. KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King and other fast food giants must also take a stand.

The Amazon is up in flames and the corporate sector has been largely silent. McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC all source Brazilian beef and/or meat fed on Brazilian soya, and they all do business with companies linked to forest destruction in Brazil. The current clearing of forests in the Amazon has occurred in anticipation that cattle raised on the land can be sold to meatpackers that sell beef to companies like McDonald's and Burger King.

Ultimately, all companies buying goods like soya, cattle and leather from Brazil, the main drivers of deforestation in the country, have a responsibility to stand up to Bolsonaro’s destructive agenda.

As a global organisation, Greenpeace is holding these companies accountable for their global operations; not just their operations here in Australia.

We are asking McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC to publicly speak out against Bolsonaro’s attacks on forests and to reject any goods linked to environmental destruction in the Amazon and across Brazil. As a major consumer of high-risk commodities from Brazil, notably soya and meat, these companies must start acting.

It’s important that as a global community we continue to support the many sustainable and conscientious producers and businesses in Brazil, while pressuring companies to drop suppliers linked to forest destruction.

Forest fires are closely linked to the deforestation process. This is because most of the time fire is used to “clear” the area after lumber the forest, preparing the land for livestock. In addition to deforestation, the burning releases CO2 that contributes to global warming in a vicious cycle.

Unfortunately, those who deforest and destroy the Amazon are encouraged by the Bolsonaro government.

With the support of our donors, each year we conduct monitoring overflights of the Amazon region. On August 23, 2019 we flew over to document this year’s heavy burns and found bleak images like the one on the right.

In 2018 we showed the world the damage left by the fire between the states of Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia. During the research, we identified active outbreaks especially around and within protected areas, which pose a major risk to their survival.

Since the beginning of the year, we have been pressuring the authorities and denouncing, through our communication channels and in the press, the progress of deforestation and the dismantling of Brazil’s environmental policy. Now we're also calling major fast food companies to take a public stand against Amazon destruction.

No matter where you live, the health of the Amazon rainforest affects your life. The forest works as a carbon sink, storing carbon dioxide, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. Deforestation releases the carbon dioxide, fuelling climate change. Around the world, deforestation is responsible for ten to fifteen percent of greenhouse gas emissions. This is why protection of the Amazon is the backbone of our fight against climate change. 

Deforestation in MATOPIBA led the way for soy plantations. This region is considered the jewel of Brazilian agribusiness. Following MATOPIBA as an example, development and deforestation in the region of Cerrado, one of the most threatened biomes in Brazil, is threatening the underground system of aquifers throughout South America.

From colorful butterflies to the largest snakes in the world, the  Amazon rainforest is made up of a mosaic of ecosystems which have unmatched biological richness. Standing behind the guardians of the forest means not only protecting the beautiful jungle, but also all the animals that are already threatened - some being found nowhere else on Earth. Let's help these beautiful creatures by  stopping deforestation.

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