Bunge, Europe’s largest soybean importer, accused of contributing to deforestation in Brazil

On one side, tens of thousands of hectares of savannah transformed into soybean plantations in South America. On the other, tens of thousands of kilometers away, products sold in European supermarkets. And, in the middle, a global commodity trader. A report by the NGO Mighty Earth, published on Wednesday June 21, accuses the giant Bunge of playing a key role in the deforestation of the Cerrado, in Brazil. Produced in partnership with the Reporter Brasil collective and the NGO Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV), it insists on the urgency of changing European legislation to protect this region, and underlines the responsibility of European distributors and manufacturers in this phenomenon.

“The Cerrado is both the ecosystem most impacted by our practices and the least known, explains Boris Patentreger, the France director of Mighty Earth. It is a forgotten jewel, which stores a lot of carbon and is home to a great biodiversity, but which is talked about very little compared to the Amazon. And his fate is linked to an American trader who is also very little known. »

In fact, the name “Bunge” will mean nothing to most European consumers. However, this company is indirectly responsible for a large part of what happens on their plates: it is the main supplier of soybeans intended for animal feed in the European Union (EU), which is its largest market. (39% of sales in 2022, ahead of the United States and China). On the continent, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and France are its main customers. “Bunge, due to its quasi-monopolistic situation, is connected to all the players in animal nutrition “, sums up the Système U group, contacted by The world.

Trader “at risk”

Gold Bunge is also considered to be the most “at risk” trader in terms of deforestation in Brazil, and in particular in the Cerrado, according to numerous reports, including those carried out by the independent research institute Trase, by the organization Oxfam or again by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition.

In their new investigation, published on Wednesday, the NGOs explain that they have identified three farms, located in the Cerrado, where cases of deforestation have taken place since 2021 and where Bunge has purchased soybeans. From invoices, satellite and field observations, they claim that the trader is linked to the destruction of more than 11,000 hectares of savannah. The survey also notes five even more recent land conversion cases, which occurred in 2022 and 2023 in municipalities where Bunge is the main negotiator. Questioned by Mighty Earth, the company recognizes direct or indirect relations with five of the eight farms, but ensures that the clearings observed comply with Brazilian legislation. Contacted by The worldBunge repeats “Do not source soy from illegally deforested areas” and ensures that 97% of the soy it imports from Brazil is not associated with deforestation or land conversion.