A Greenpeace campaigner examines a soya field carved out of the Amazon rainforest

In a significant development for rainforest protection, Greenpeace and major UK food companies have joined forces to broker a two year moratorium on multinational traders buying soya from newly deforested land in the Amazon rainforest. Soya production has been one of the main drivers of Amazon destruction in recent years. The deal, signed in Brazil, is a welcome step forward but Greenpeace is warning that it will only prove to be a major breakthrough if real action is taken on the ground.

The deal follows publication in April of a Greenpeace investigation into the impacts of the soya trade in the Amazon. McDonald's and other leading European food retailers subsequently formed a unique alliance with Greenpeace to demand action from soya traders to stop deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Demand for soya-based animal feed - used in meat production - is fueling Amazon destruction. As a result of pressure from the alliance, US commodities giants Cargill, ADM, Bunge, French-owned Dreyfus, and Brazilian-owned Amaggi - which between them account for the majority of the soya trade in Brazil - were brought to the negotiating table.

The soya traders have been discussing an initiative proposed by Greenpeace and the food companies that includes criteria designed to boost the Brazilian Government's efforts to stop deforestation, enforce governance, protect critical habitats, and safeguard the lands of indigenous peoples and traditional communities.

The soya traders commitment to a limited two year moratorium risks being no more than a token gesture, unless the traders deliver real change to protect the Amazon. Greenpeace is demanding that the moratorium stays until proper procedures for legality and governance are in place and until there is an agreement with the Brazilian Government and key stakeholders on long term protection for the Amazon rainforest. A working group will be established, made up of soya traders, producers, NGOs, and government to put in place an action plan.

The soya traders' statement follows a three year Greenpeace investigation into the negative impacts of soya in the Amazon. Soya is the leading cash crop in Brazil and soya farming - much of it illegal - is now one of the biggest drivers, along with cattle ranching and illegal logging, of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Violent conflict over illegally cleared land is not uncommon. Most of this soya is exported to Europe to feed chicken, pigs and cows for meat products.

"The part played by food companies selling products which have a direct link to Amazon deforestation for soya has been crucial in bringing the big soya traders to the negotiating table. Now the challenge is for the soya trade to deliver real on the ground results to protect the Amazon rainforest from destruction," said Gerd Leipold, Executive Director of Greenpeace International.

A McDonald's statement today states: "When we were first alerted to this issue by Greenpeace, we immediately reached out to our suppliers, other NGOs and other companies to resolve this issue and take action... We are determined to do the right thing together with our suppliers and the Brazilian government, to protect the Amazon from further destruction... The two-year time frame set for the initiative is, we hope, indicative of the sense of urgency with which the soya traders wish to implement the governance programme and all of its conditions. We expect that should some of the measures take longer than the stated two years to implement, the moratorium would remain in existence until all commitments have been fulfilled." McDonald's has already committed to removing Amazon-sourced soya from its chicken supply chain.

The Amazon is not only the most bio-diverse region on the planet but is also important for the regulation of the climate and for the lives of millions of people living there. Yet because of unprecedented levels of destruction for agricultural commodities like soya, an area of the Amazon the size of five football pitches has been lost every minute over the last 10 years.

Greenpeace Brazil Executive Director, Frank Guggenheim said, "We need to keep pushing for an agreement that will really protect the future of the rainforest and the Amazon people. Disputes over land and forest resources have not only destroyed large areas of the Amazon but also claimed thousands of lives. Soya traders must now help bring governance and environmental protection to the entire region".

All of the food companies calling for action to protect the rainforest have also pledged to continue their demands for non-genetically modified (GM) soya from their suppliers. Greenpeace will continue to campaign against the use of GM crops within the Amazon rainforest and elsewhere.

For further information contact Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255. Video and stills available.

Notes:
(1) Eating up the Amazon, Greenpeace, April 2006, http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/eating-up-the-amazon

Ian Bowles, Head of CSR at ASDA Wal-Mart said: "We want to ensure that our suppliers source products for us in a sustainable way. ASDA Wal-Mart believes that protecting ancient forests is of critical importance and fully supports this imitative to stop the ongoing deforestation and soya farming within the Amazon rainforest. To help this initiative succeed we should also look to develop an economic mechanism to reward countries that are prepared to safeguard ancient forests like the Amazon biome. This will provide a longer term solution that protects ancient rainforests from destruction, without hindering the economic development of countries like Brazil."

In a statement Waitrose said: "We share the concerns raised by Greenpeace about unsustainable logging and planting practices which in Amazonia are contributing to the large scale deforestation of the rainforest. Waitrose takes the responsible sourcing of its products very seriously and is pleased to work closely with Greenpeace on this matter."

Mike Barry, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Marks & Spencer said: "We welcome Greenpeace's efforts and are actively working with them and our suppliers to find more sustainable sourcing options for soya to better protect the Amazon biome, help economic development in Brazil and enable us to continue delivering excellent products to our customers."

A spokeperson for Sainsbury's said: "We have been talking to Greenpeace for some time about its Amazon soya campaign and helped get the British Retail Consortium involved. We support Greenpeace's campaign and are working with them and the rest of the industry to put in place more sustainable sourcing that does not involve the deforestation of the Amazon. We take very seriously the responsible sourcing of our products and are grateful to Greenpeace for drawing attention to this important issue."

In a statement, the British Retail Consortium said: "Retailers have responded positively to Greenpeace's concerns over the environmental impacts of soya farming in the Amazon by putting in place a system to trace the source of the soya used in all products."

Greenpeace climbers hanging a banner outside ASDA's Leeds HQ

Supermarket chain ASDA is to make a dramatic improvement in its seafood policy after Greenpeace volunteers occupied the roof of its Leeds HQ.

The volunteers unfurled a banner with the ASDA logo and catchphrase 'That's ASDA price' against a backdrop of mutilated and wasted fish caught as bycatch by bottom-trawlers fishing for plaice. Today's occupation follows weeks of leafleting by Greenpeace volunteers outside Asda stores.

Asda recently came rock bottom in a Greenpeace league table ranking supermarkets by their seafood policies. Scoring just one point out of twenty, Asda was found to be selling at least thirteen species on Greenpeace's 'danger list'.

However, in talks this morning Asda told Greenpeace that it would no longer be selling skate, dover sole, ling and huss (dogfish) and is looking to remove marlin and swordfish from its shelves. The company is also devising a seafood policy that promises that they will now only buy fish from legal and sustainable sources that show responsibility for the environment.

Greenpeace campaigner Oliver Knowles said: "Until we scaled the roof of their HQ this morning, Asda were plunging the depths with their seafood policies. "However, they've now made a substantial and very welcome turnaround, which will go some way towards helping to take the pressure off the perilous state of the oceans. "Now it's up to other supermarkets to act immediately and stop selling the most destructively fished species."

The world's oceans are in a state of crisis, and 90% of large predatory fish stocks like cod, tuna, swordfish and halibut have already been fished out. The UK retail market for seafood is worth £1.8 billion a year, and nearly 90% of sales are made through supermarkets.

Greenpeace is calling on all retailers to:

• Immediately begin the process of removing the most destructively fished species from their shelves - those listed as being most overfished and caught using wasteful or destructive methods. For the few of these stocks that are not yet severely depleted, supermarkets must clearly specify the source and method of fishing and work to improve sustainability.
• Increase the range of sustainable seafood they sell - from stocks that are not depleted and using the most sustainable fishing methods - and ensure these sustainable species are promoted effectively in store, on their websites and in store magazines.
• Work with suppliers to source fish from only the least depleted stocks, work with fishermen and/or researchers to improve sustainability of fishing methods and reject fish from fisheries and suppliers that refuse to change.
• Improve seafood labelling by ensuring that all seafood products sold are clearly labelled so that consumers can make a more informed choice about the products they are buying. This means labelling seafood with: the common and scientific name of the species; the specific stock the seafood was caught from or the farm it was cultivated at; the fishing method used to catch it.

Notes

The league table marked supermarkets out of twenty across four categories:

1. number of the most destructively fished species sold
2. seafood procurement policies
3. support and promotion of sustainability initiatives
4. labelling policies and public promotion of sustainable seafood

Download the full report 'A recipe for disaster'.

For more information contact Jo Kuper on 07985 605 510 or the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255.

Greenpeace 'fishmongers' protest against ASDA's seafood policy

Tuesday 17th January: Today Greenpeace volunteers scaled the roof of ASDA's central Leeds HQ and unfurled a banner with the Asda logo and catchphrase 'That's Asda price' for plaice.

Asda recently came rock bottom in a league table ranking supermarkets by their seafood policies; today's action is a wake up call for the company to take action on the destructively fished seafood it sells. A van full of 'fishmongers', accompanied by an ad-van carrying the same massive billboard poster on its side is touring Leeds and visiting Leeds Asda stores to deliver the message to the supermarket's customers.

Greenpeace campaigner Oliver Knowles said: "We want to expose the true 'ASDA price' behind the companys seafood policy, which is plundering our oceans and endangering entire species of fish in the name of profit.

"ASDA and other supermarkets must act immediately on this issue by removing from sale the most destructively fished species and replace them with seafood from sources that don't destroy our seas."

The world's oceans are in a state of crisis, and 90% of large predatory fish stocks like cod, tuna, swordfish and halibut have already been fished out. The UK retail market for seafood is worth £.8 billion a year, and nearly 90% of sales are made through supermarkets. Scoring just one point out of twenty, Asda was found to be selling at least thirteen species on Greenpeace's 'danger list' including swordfish, marlin and Atlantic cod.

Greenpeace is calling on Asda and all retailers to:

• Immediately begin the process of removing the most destructively fished species from their shelves - those listed as being most overfished and caught using wasteful or destructive methods. For the few of these stocks that are not yet severely depleted, supermarkets must clearly specify the source and method of fishing and work to improve sustainability.
• Increase the range of sustainable seafood they sell - from stocks that are not depleted and using the most sustainable fishing methods - and ensure these sustainable species are promoted effectively in store, on their websites and in store magazines.
• Work with suppliers to source fish from only the least depleted stocks, work with fishermen and/or researchers to improve sustainability of fishing methods and reject fish from fisheries and suppliers that refuse to change.
• Improve seafood labelling by ensuring that all seafood products sold are clearly labelled so that consumers can make a more informed choice about the products they are buying. This means labelling seafood with: the common and scientific name of the species; the specific stock the seafood was caught from or the farm it was cultivated at; the fishing method used to catch it.

ENDS

Notes

Greenpeace are at the:
Asda Head Office, Asda House, Southbank
Great Wilson Street, Leeds LS11 5AD

The league table marked supermarkets out of twenty across four categories:

• number of the most destructively fished species sold
• seafood procurement policies
• support and promotion of sustainability initiatives
• labelling policies and public promotion of sustainable seafood

The league table features in a report, 'A recipe for disaster.' The study reveals the effect fish markets are having on our seas. As well as ranking supermarkets it details how:

• Three quarters of commercially valuable fish stocks are already fully exploited, overexploited or depleted. Worldwide up to 90% of stocks of predatory fish, including tuna, swordfish, cod and halibut, have already been fished out.
• Wild caught fish are used for fishmeal and fish oil to feed farmed stocks like salmon. It takes about three tonnes of wild fish to produce one tonne of salmon. Furthermore disease spreads easily from farmed to wild populations, further depleting wild stocks.
• Industrial fishing for smaller fish such as sandeels and anchovy for use in fishmeal has caused massive disruption to marine food webs and has almost certainly led to the decline in species such as cod, seals and seabirds in the North Sea.
• Download the full report: 'A recipe for disaster'.

For more information contact Jo Kuper on 07985 605 510 or the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255