abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Story

24 Jul 2019

Brazil: NGO report alleges companies complicit in deforestation & human rights abuses in the Amazon

[To read this story in Portuguese, please, click here]

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited 55 companies to respond to allegations of their involvement in the deforestation of the Amazon as well as human rights abuses. The report from Amazon Watch and Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil-APIB (National Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil) , "Complicity in Destruction II: How northern consumers and financiers enable Bolsonaro's assault on the Brazilian Amazon", states that European and North American businesses that finance and source from Brazil are connected to the Brazilian government´s roll-back of socio-environmental standards that are fundamental to preserving the Amazon's ecological integrity and the well-being of indigenous people. The report analysed Brazilian companies that were fined for environmental crimes in the Amazon since 2017, and identified a range of northern commercial interests that do business with them. There are allegations that agribusiness companies operated in areas of indigenous land conflicts and extracted resources from protected areas.

The companies that responded to these allegations, and whose responses can be found below are the following: Acai GmbH Fine Fruits Club, ASR Group, ABN Amro, Azimut Group, Boa-Franc, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Brandes Investment Partners, Citigroup, Conceria Cristina, Crédit Agricole, Credit Suisse, Fidelity, Global Timber, HSBC, ING Group, JPMorgan Chase, Louis Dreyfus Company, Marfrig, Robinson Lumber Company, Storebrand, Tradelink, Rino Mastrotto Group, Van den Berg Hardhout and Vogel Import & Export. The responses from Argus Comercio e Exportação de Alimentos, Benevides Madeiras, Marfrig, and Minerva are available here in Portuguese. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Bunge previously responded to these allegations here (also included below) and State Street and Vanguard declined to respond at that time. ADM, AgroSB, Argus Comercio e Exportação de Alimentos, Bunge, Cargill, Frigorífico Xingara, GWW Houtimport, JBS, and Nordisk Timber Eireli commented on the allegations in the Mongabay article below. Algar Agro, owner of ABC Inco and ABC Indústria e Comércio SA, Agro SB, Bunge, Cargill and Frigorifico Xingara commented on the allegations in the Epoca article in Portuguese here (and also below).

Bank of America, BlackRock, Brighton Collectibles, Capital Group, Conceria Cadore, ED&F Man, Faeda, Invesco, Santander, Thompson Mahogany Company and Vandecasteele Houtimport did not respond. Deutsche Bank, T.Rowe Price, Guillemette & Cie declined to respond. Agropecuária Rio da Areia, Groupe Rougier, Grupo BIHL: Agropecuária MALP & Frigorífico Redentor, Hoogendoorn Hout, Italpelli, JJ Samara Agronegócios Eireli, Keflico, Uniggel Proteção de Plantas, Usina Trapiche & Temape Group have not yet responded and we will add their responses if they reply in the near future. We were not able to reach Farm Credit Services or Northwest Hardwoods.

Company Responses

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) View Response
Fidelity Investments (FMR LLC) View Response
Brandes Investment Partners View Response
Citigroup View Response
Boa-Franc View Response
Robinson Lumber Company View Response
Azimut Group View Response
Credit Suisse View Response
Barclays View Response
ING Bank View Response
ABN Amro View Response
BNP Paribas View Response
Tradelink View Response
Storebrand View Response
Crédit Agricole View Response
Louis Dreyfus View Response
Vogel Import & Export View Response
Acai GmbH Fine Fruits Club View Response
Bank of America

No Response

BlackRock

No Response

Brighton Collectibles

No Response

Capital Group

No Response

ED&F Man

No Response

Invesco

No Response

Thompson Mahogany Company

No Response

T. Rowe Price

No Response

JPMorgan Chase View Response
Santander

No Response

Faeda

No Response

Conceria Cadore

No Response

Marfrig Alimentos View Response
Deutsche Bank

No Response

Guillemette & Cie

No Response

Vandecasteele Houtimport

No Response

Rino Mastrotto Group View Response
Global Timber View Response
Conceria Cristina View Response
Van den Berg Hardhout View Response

Timeline