One of the world's largest leather suppliers, and Brazil's second-largest beef exporter today backed Greenpeace's call for a moratorium on the purchase of cattle from farms involved in new deforestation in the Amazon with immediate effect. (1).

Bertin's announcement follows tough new policy statements from shoe retailers such as Clarks, Nike, Timberland, Geox and Adidas, in response to a Greenpeace report entitled Slaughtering the Amazon, which was released in June.

The report traced leather, beef and other cattle products from ranches involved in the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest back to top brands' supply chains.

The cattle giant now joins Marfrig, the fourth-largest producer of beef and beef products in the world, which adopted a similar commitment in July (2).

"Bertin's decision should pave the way for the modernisation of the Brazilian cattle industry", said Sarah Shoraka, Greenpeace Forests campaigner.

"Given the sheer size of both Bertin and Marfrig's operations, this commitment will have real impact on driving down Amazon deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Greenpeace will closely monitor the moratorium's implementation to ensure its success", said Shoraka.

In the next 180 days, Bertin will register and map all fatteningfarms which supply cattle directly to the company. For the rest of the supply chain, including rearing and nursery farms, Bertin believes that it will require two-years to implement a traceability system from farms to its slaughterhouses and processing facilities.

The company will also ensure it is not buying cattle from indigenous and protected areas or from farms linked to slave labour, land conflicts and land grabbing.

Marfrig and Bertin's commitment to end Amazon deforestation has isolated Brazilian JBS-Friboi, the world's largest producer and global exporter of processed beef. Contrary to its competitors, JBS-Friboi is staying silent on the issue and is expanding into the Amazon having rented several new facilities north of Mato Grosso State, an area which has the greatest rate of cattle ranching expansion and deforestation in the Amazon.

"JBS-Friboi must accept its responsibilities and stop fuelling Amazon destruction. It needs to join these companies in protecting the rainforest now," said Shoraka.

Brazil's entire cattle sector urgently needs to follow the soya industry's example and commit to a moratorium on expansion into newly deforested areas.Both the federal and state governments must ensure this is possible by mapping, registering and monitoring rural properties, helping the private sector to fulfill its corporate liabilities. Cattle ranching is the biggest driver of Amazon rainforest destruction and contributes to making Brazil the fourth largest climate polluter in the world.

Fernando Bertin, CEO of Bertin, S.A. said: "Environmental responsibility is increasingly relevant for a company like ours to maintain and enhance its position in Brazil and abroad. Today, we are making a fundamental step."

Contacts:

Greenpeace press office: 0207 865 8115

Notes to Editor:

(1) Pressure from Greenpeace and key customers including: Clarks, Nike, Adidas, Timberland and Geox, prompted Bertin to expand an official agreement signed in July with the Brazilian Federal Prosecution Office and the government of Pará state in Amazonia, which was limited only to excluding farmers involved in illegal deforestation to include all ranches involved in any new Amazon rainforest destruction.

(2) http://www.mzweb.com.br/marfrig/web/arquivos/MARFRIG_CM_20090622_ENG.pdf

For companies' commitments see:

• Adidas
• Clarks
• Nike
• Geox (in Italian)
• Timberland

The global sportswear company Nike has announced that it is to stop buying leather from the Amazon region of Brazil, following concerns that its shoes and trainers could be driving the destruction of the world's largest rainforest and contributing to climate change.

The move follows a Greenpeace report, released in June, which exposed how cattle hides from deforested areas were contaminating the supply chains of a number of global brands including Nike, Clarks, Adidas and Reebok. Deforestation for cattle ranching in Brazil alone is now the biggest driver of deforestation anywhere in the world.

A Nike spokesman will release the new company policy at their headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon at 1700 UK time.  A host of British sports stars are sponsored by Nike and wear their products, including Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and the entire English Rugby Union team.

Reacting to the news, Greenpeace forest campaigner Sarah Shoraka said:

"Nike has recognised that trampling over the Amazon rainforest to produce leather for its trainers is an unacceptable way of doing business. Preparing land for cattle ranching is now the single biggest cause of deforestation in the world and a major driver of climate change.

"Nike has taken a bold step, and now we need to see other companies follow their lead." 

The Greenpeace report has already caused significant movement within the Brazilian cattle industry, and it is hoped that Nike's decision will help pave the way for an industry wide moratorium on the destruction of forests for cattle ranching. Greenpeace is demanding that other shoe companies such as Reebok, Clarks and Adidas follow Nike's lead and support a moratorium.

The policy document that Nike signed today requires all of its suppliers "to certify that they are supplying leather for Nike Inc. products from cattle raised outside the Amazon biome." This policy will be in place until Nike feels that a reliable system of governance -with full traceability of cattle products which includes the guarantee that those products are not causing deforestation - in place in the Amazon.

These suppliers then have until July 2010 to create a fully traceable supply system, which will provide reliable proof that any leather used for Nike shoes has not been sourced from recently deforested areas.

The Greenpeace report, entitled Slaughtering the Amazon was released on June 1^st. It can be viewed at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/slaughtering-the-amazon

The Nike policy is available to view at http://www.nikebiz.com/media/pr/2009/07/22_AmazonLeatherPolicy.html  

Contacts:

Greenpeace Press Office - 0207 865 8255

Nike UK Head of Corporate communications - Leo Sandino-Taylor - 0207 578 0622

NOTES:

The Greenpeace report "Slaughtering the Amazon" tracked leather, beef, and other cattle products produced by ranches involved in illegal deforestation as they make their way to processing plants, manufacturers, and ultimately into the supply chains of well known consumer brands.

The report highlights the need to end deforestation in the Amazon for cattle and the importance of having people, industry, and governments work together to agree a strong climate deal at the UN Copenhagen Climate Summit in December 2009 that includes measures to protect tropical forests to mitigate the effects of climate change.   Greenpeace is calling on governments to provide US 40 billion a year to end deforestation by 2020.