The Australian Conservation Foundation has called on the big supermarkets, fast food chains and banks to adopt a credible definition of ‘deforestation’ that align with international frameworks – then get it out of their supply chains and off their loan books.
“Deforestation is the removal of a natural forest,” said ACF business and biodiversity lead Nathaniel Pelle.
“All credible frameworks, like the Accountability Framework and Science-based Targets, agree that it is deforestation, regardless of whether the removal of the forest was legal or whether or not it is on agricultural properties.”
Mr Pelle says most graziers are not engaged in broadscale bulldozing of bushland. But it’s very difficult for consumers to choose deforestation-free beef from those responsible farmers, or for export markets to have certainty they are not importing deforestation, because of poor traceability and transparency.
“Most of the beef industry is already deforestation free by the internationally accepted definition, what’s missing is market recognition of those credentials,” he said.
“Cattle Australia’s proposed definition doesn’t align with international frameworks and would leave the industry, or any business that adopts it, open to charges of greenwashing or having their targets ruled invalid.”
ACF welcomed Woolworths’ recent announcement that it will stop selling beef linked to deforestation, in accordance with the Science-based Targets Initiative, but says the supermarket giant hasn’t yet set out its deforestation definition.
Coles acknowledges ‘deforestation is a contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss,’ but has not yet made a commitment to end nature destruction linked to its supply chains.
Aldi’s commitment goes further than Woolworths by promising to rule out the destruction of all ecosystems including native bushland, not only forests, in other words a ‘zero conversion’ commitment.
“Australia has a deforestation problem, but it’s being driven by a small number of operators,” said Mr Pelle.
“Our food systems rely on the health of the natural world. Not acting to end deforestation has consequences for farmers, shareholders, nature and ultimately our food security.”
Last month, ACF’s inaugural Future of Food benchmark analysis revealed that most major food businesses are failing in key areas of sustainability.