Major European food retailers are stepping up to defend the Amazon rainforest. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, and Aldi have formally urged global grain traders—including ADM, Bunge, Cargill, Louis Dreyfus, and China’s Cofco—to publicly reaffirm their commitment to Brazil’s Amazon Soy Moratorium, a program that has prevented deforestation linked to soy production for nearly two decades.
In a letter dated Sept. 5, the grocers emphasized that the recent suspension of the moratorium by Brazil’s competition authority, CADE, “poses a serious threat” to the initiative. The retailers warned that failure to uphold the moratorium could invite renewed pressure from consumers and large companies to avoid soy sourced from illegally deforested areas.
“Your companies have championed the protection of the Amazon for nearly 20 years. Action is now needed to remove uncertainty over the protections of this vital ecosystem,” the letter read. The correspondence also included Britain’s National Pig Association and privately owned UK food producers, highlighting broad industry support for continued compliance.
Brazil, the world’s largest soy producer, exports most of its soy to China for animal feed. While the moratorium has been credited with slowing Amazon deforestation, it has faced consistent opposition from farmers, whose lobbying efforts eventually prompted CADE to investigate and suspend the program.
The retailers stressed that even with a temporary injunction in place, immediate steps are required to maintain market certainty. They urged grain traders to implement interim compliance measures at the company level until a long-term solution is secured, signaling that environmental accountability remains a key factor for global supply chains.
This move highlights the increasing influence of food brands and consumers in shaping sustainable practices. With deforestation linked to climate change and biodiversity loss, the Amazon Soy Moratorium remains a cornerstone of environmental responsibility in agribusiness.
