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NGO Rejoinder

14 Feb 2019

Author:
Amazon Watch

Amazon Watch rejoinder

We were pleased to see the responses of Bunge and Archer Daniels Midland to our New York Times op-ed. However, the companies appear to have overlooked our key arguments and glossed over legitimate concerns. The op-ed contends that not only the corporate social responsibility policies and commitments of major international commodity traders and financial institutions, but also the rigorous application of these commitments, will play a fundamental role in either enabling or moderating the behavior of the Bolsonaro administration.... [T]he supply chains of Bunge and Archer Daniels Midland are exposed to significant environmental and human rights risks... We believe that the behavior of leading commodity traders and financial institutions has the power to shape the comportment of their suppliers, ultimately sending signals to both Brazilian policymakers and local producers that the social and environmental rollbacks currently being enacted by Bolsonaro’s government will not be tolerated by international markets. Finally, we must state our disappointment with the failure of the financial institutions cited in our op-ed to respond. Vanguard, State Street and BlackRock all play a key role in bankrolling some of the worst actors operating in the Brazilian Amazon, and as a result have the responsibility to address public concern with the critiques raised in our article.

Part of the following timelines

Brasil: Governo Bolsonaro e suas políticas que colocam em risco direitos humanos e a democracia

Amazon Watch calls on agribusiness companies & investors to take a stand against the President of Brazil's threats to the Amazon; includes co. responses