EU POSTPONES GLYPHOSATE DECISION
Citizen's health and environment at risk!, 2022-06-02
Whether it's in your breakfast or your after-work drink, glyphosate seems to be everywhere. Years after scientists first raised concerns about its toxic effects, BAYER's invisible poison still lurks in our fields and our food. The studies by industry that led to the re-authorisation of glyphosate by the European Union in 2017 have long been secret but had to be revealed after a decision by the European Court of Justice. Using the released documents, an independent review by cancer expert Knassmüller showed that the 2017 EU decision is based on a faulty analysis. Whether glyphosate can be classified as a carcinogen is one of the issues around the herbicide that are contested not only between agrochemical companies and environmental organizations but also in the scientific community. On 31th May 2022, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) comittee has concluded once again that glyphosate does not cause cancer. With this verdict, ECHA has dismissed the scientific arguments on glyphosate's link to cancer brought forth by independent experts. Most industry studies are not reliable and independent studies show that glyphosate is genotoxic. On 10th May EU agencies announced the postponement of their new risk assessment on glyphosate until mid-2023, half a year after the current authorisation ends. A temporary extension of the approval is expected to bridge the gap. BAYER intensified its lobbying in a desperate effort to save its beloved weedkiller. In 2019 alone, the company spent 4.3 million EUR on getting cosy with Brussels politicians. Now BAYER faces a billion-dollar lawsuit in Germany over the takeover of U.S. seed manufacturer Monsanto. A large number of investors who believe BAYER has deceived them about the economic risks of the 63 billion USD acquisition are demanding damages.
PEPSI REFILL AND REUSE
Pepsi can do better, commit to 50% reuse and refill by 2030!, 2022-04-25
PepsiCo is committing to eliminate all virgin plastic from its Pepsi brand beverage bottles sold in nine European countries by 2022. The company will package the entire range of beverages with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). PepsiCo will also engage more in reuse and refill systems such as SodaStream. We know that recycling has failed to curb the increasing flood of plastic pollution. Recyclable single-use bottles are still far more likely to end up in a landfill or incinerator. Only 7% of those bottles collected for recycling are turned into new bottles. PepsiCo and its rival, Coca-Cola, are plastic pollution villains, pumping out single-use bottles made from fossil fuels that are helping to drive the climate crisis and plastic pollution. But in February, Coca-Cola announced it will make at least 25% of its packaging reusable by 2030. As the world's biggest plastic polluter, this was a major milestone achieved under pressure from environmental coalition #Breakfreefromplastics. Now PepsiCo is feeling the competition from the top Coke rival. Message Pepsi now to beat Coke in ambitious reuse and refill commitments to tackle the climate crisis. Pepsi, do better! Commit to 50% reuse and refill by 2030.
CARGILL PULL OUT OF RUSSIA
Cargill is still making millions in Russia, 2022-03-30
Cargill is one of the biggest foreign investors in agro-processing segment of Russian economy with the amount overrunning 1.1 billion USD. After the invasion of Ukraine brought sanctions against the Russian economy, hundreds of companies around the world have suspended operations in Russia in the last weeks. We are seeing that aggressive government action plus an unwavering public outcry can get large companies to do things they previously would not consider, since they will cause disruption and have negative financial impacts. It remains to be seen if a mixture of sanctions and public outcry could also pile up pressure on corporations to act on climate change. Yet, Cargill has refused to join other major global food companies, which have responded to the Russian aggression, including McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. McDonald's made its announcement to pull out after facing calls on social media for a boycott. Cargill's only reaction until now was an announcement that it is stopping investment in Russia. Cargill supports the Russian war machine by sending tax revenue and bolsters the Russian economy with their presence. Tell Cargill to put the people in Ukraine before profits - and pull out of Russia!.
CLOSE THE BURGER FACTORIES
Blockade of McDonald's only UK burger factory, 2022-01-17
One of the biggest anticorporate actions in the last year was the blockade at McDonald's only UK burger factory in Scunthorpe that halted production for over 24 hours, on 15th July. Around 100 protestors of the animal rights group Animal Rebellion set up a blockade using trucks, tents, bamboo structures and a roof occupation to stop the factory from distributing burgers and urge McDonald's to switch to a plant-based menu. Animal Rebellion claimed that the factory produces three million beef patties per day. The activists encouraged everyone to join the blockade and protest against McDonald's for their track record of destroying the environment, poor labour conditions and animal exploitation. The blockade took place after the group had shut down four McDonald's UK distribution centres in May to call out the meat and dairy industries for their role in the climate and ecological emergency causing economic disruption to McDonald's supply chain. Animal Rebellion is demanding that McDonald's transitions to a fully plant-based menu by 2025 and commits to being 20% plant-based within a year. About 85% of Amazon deforestation is related to cow farming. An investigation by Mighty Earth revealed that the cows killed for McDonald's meals are fed with soybean cultivated in deforested areas in Bolivia and Brazil. If you live in the UK you can join Animal Rebellion and take action against McDonald's.
STOP JBS BEEF IN EUROPE
European supermarket chains stop selling beef from JBS, 2022-01-01
In the past year, the Brazilian Amazon has seen the worst deforestation levels in 15 years. About two-thirds of cleared land in the Amazon and the Cerrado has been converted to cattle pasture. A new investigation by Reporter Brasil in partnership with Mighty Earth could track deforestation-linked beef to European retail store shelves. The study found multiple examples of beef processed by JBS at its slaughterhouses in low-deforestation areas such as Sao Paulo, but sourced from cattle raised and fed on farms officially embargoed for illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. JBS is the world's largest producer of beef - slaughtering almost 35,000 cattle a day in Brazil alone. In response to the investigation, supermarket chains in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK announced they were dropping Brazilian beef altogether and/or beef products tied to JBS. Albert Heijn (part of Ahold Delhaize), the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, committed to stop sourcing beef from Brazil. Lidl Netherlands committed to stop selling all beef with South American origin as of January 2022. Carrefour Belgium committed to stop selling Jack Link's Beef Jerky in Belgium, Auchan France will remove beef jerky products tied to JBS from its store shelves, and Sainsbury's UK is moving its own brand corned beef away from Brazil entirely.
PROCTER AND GAMBLE IN FLAMES
Procter and Gamble - complicit of forest destruction, 2021-11-04
As the headlines of Fall 2021 report one climate disaster after another - increasing hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, deadly unprecedented floods in Germany, and wildfires ravaging California, massive fires continue to destroy Indonesia's vital rainforests in order to clear land for commodity plantations. Rainforest Action Network (RAN) field investigators have uncovered connections between major brands and banks, including Procter and Gamble, Nestlé, Mondelēz, Unilever, major asian banks as well as Dutch bank ABN AMRO and the destruction of critical habitat of Sumatran elephants and orangutans. The complicity of these brands and banks in the deforestation of this lowland rainforest is due to their sourcing from, and financing of, the Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) group. The RGE Group is a large conglomerate, headed up by billionaire Mr. Sukanto Tanoto, which controls millions of acres of land used for both pulp and palm oil production. Doing business with forest destroyers and rights abusers makes Procter and Gamble complicit. RAN calls on Procter and Gamble to suspend sourcing from RGE and all its subsidiaries immediately. Take action and call P&G to suspend sourcing from the Royal Golden Eagle group.
