DAMNING REPORT INVESTIGATES CLAIMS OF ILLEGAL DEFORESTATION -- HERE ARE THE MAJOR CORPORATIONS INVOLVED

“Any firms involved in unlawful forest clearance [should be] held accountable for those crimes.”

By Susan Elizabeth TurekFebruary 27, 2024



Photo Credit: iStock

The Environmental Investigation Agency is putting major companies, including Nestle, Colgate, and Kellogg’s, under the spotlight after it discovered the corporations were doing business with a palm oil supplier that has been contributing to deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon.

What happened?
As detailed by Reuters, the investigative report released on Feb. 7 found that Ocho Sur, a Peru-based supplier backed by North American investors, and nine other companies had deforested more than 50 square miles of rainforest in the Ucayali region.

According to the EIA, the infractions include “acquiring illegally titled land, deforesting without permits, failing to produce the required environmental documentation, not paying fines, and violating the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.” It also says the Peruvian government has failed to curtail such actions at an operational level. For its part, Ocho Sur has denied the allegations, telling Reuters that it has had all the required permits since 2016, when it obtained the land.

Why is this concerning?
The Ucayali region is known for its incredible biodiversity, an essential factor in keeping our ecosystems running smoothly.
Yadvinder Malhi, a University of Oxford ecologist, told Reuters that around 300 species of trees can live on just one small plot of land in the Ucayali.

More:
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/deforestation-peru-palm-oil-supplier/