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Tell Bunge to stop burning old growth forests and profiting from slave labor!
Tell Bunge to stop burning old growth forests and profiting from slave labor!Agribusiness giant Bunge is illegally burning native old growth forests at the edge of the Amazon rainforest and profiting from the use of slave labor. Until now, the company has been flying under the radar and avoiding the public spotlight. It's up to you to show Bunge that the company's days of avoiding attention, accountability and scrutiny are over. Forever. You can help shine the light on Bunge's unacceptable business practices by sending a letter to CEO Alberto Weisser demanding that he immediately stop illegally burning native forests for soy and stop profiting from the use of slave labor.
These are both reasonable, achievable changes for the company to make today. Bunge has never seen a major challenge by the public to act responsibly. It's time to change that for good. Send your letter now:
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I am writing today to express my concern, disappointment and outrage with Bunge's soy operations in South America. I have two primary concerns, Bunge's destruction and burning of wood from native forests and Bunge's profiting from the use of slave labor. On March 28, 2008, the Federal Regional Tribunal in Brazil ruled against Bunge stating that the company is forbidden to use wood as a source of energy in its plants. Nevertheless Bunge continues to power its plants by burning old-growth forests from the fragile and mega-biodiverse Cerrado ecosystem along the edge of the Amazon rainforest. On April 24, 2006 Bunge became a signatory of the Brazilian National Agreement for the Eradication of Slave Labor. However, assessments on the company's supply chain reveal that Bunge continues to receive soy from producers that have used slave labor. These are purchases made after Bunge's entry into the pact and from estates that had already been identified on the Brazilian governments black list of slave labor. The soy purchased was destined for the Brazilian market and for export. Recently, the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment and Brazilian Federal Police rescued 20 workers from a soy plantation where workers quarters were made of straw. There were no sanitary installations or fresh water available for workers. The soy from this farm was purchased by the Urucui unit of Bunge Alimentos. Both burning of native wood for energy and profiting from the use of slave labor are unacceptable. I strongly urge you to make two major changes: 1. Bunge should abide by the Federal court ruling in Brazil and immediately stop using native wood from the Cerrado as an energy source in their soy processing facilities. 2. Bunge must respect the Brazilian National Agreement for the Eradication of Slave Labor and stop buying soy from plantations that use slave labor. These demands are reasonable and achievable and I look forward to a prompt response and prompt action. Thank you
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| Background Information |
Since Brewster Kneen has already coined the term "invisible giant" to describe Cargill, it occurred to us that "clandestine goliath" might be an apt way to describe Bunge Corporation. Since the day it began doing business in 1818 Bunge has enjoyed relative anonymity, and has avoided taking significant responsibility for any of its less than savory business practices. It certainly hasn't hurt that the company has changed the location of its headquarters at least four times--from Amsterdam, to Belgium, to Argentina, and now to New York. It's easy to avoid accountability when you're constantly on the run.
But RAN's rainforest agribusiness campaign is changing this--we are holding them accountable and we are exposing their behavior. Although Bunge (the "B" of our "ABCs of rainforest destruction") has taken cover in between the "A" and the "C" -- they cannot continue to hide from view. Last week, we confronted Bunge shareholders, board, and CEO head-on at the company's annual general meeting in New York City. An hour before the meeting started, around twenty activists gathered outside the hotel to greet shareholders on their way inside and let them know that we want a healthy climate and intact forests, and we demand the right for Indigenous communities and small farmers to remain on their land and not be displaced by soy. We had two large banners that read, "Bunge Biofuels: Driving World Hunger" and "Bunge Profits From Slave Labor." You can see all the pictures on RAN's Flickr site.
RAN campaigner Andrea Samulon entered the meeting with Judson Barros, the director of a Brazilian NGO called FUNAGUAS in the state of Piaui, Brazil. The CEO, Alberto Weisser, made his presentation about the "state of the company" and then there was a question and answer period. First, Judson stood up and read his statement which focused on Bunge's illegal use of native wood from the Cerrado to fuel their soy processing plants. On March 28, 2008, the Federal Regional Tribunal in Brazil ruled against Bunge stating that the company is forbidden to use wood as a source of energy in its plants. Nevertheless Bunge continues to power its plants by burning old-growth forests from the fragile and mega-biodiverse Cerrado ecosystem along the edge of the Amazon rainforest.
After Judson read his statement the CEO simply said, "We respect all local environmental laws. We believe that when all the court hearings are over they will find that we are not in violation of any law. And, we denounce the use of slave labor." It was clear that nobody at the shareholder meeting had ever been confronted with any direct criticism of Bunge's practices. The small group of 50 people sitting in the meeting seemed utterly surprised to hear that Bunge needed to clean up its act.
Then, an older man stood up and said that he had been a shareholder for many years and had 600 shares in the company. He said that the company should "listen to the words of the man that just spoke, and take environmental concerns very seriously. Bunge should be a leader in respecting the environment." The CEO said, "Thank you."
Finally, Andrea stood up and made her statement. She spoke about recent assessments on the company's supply chain which revealed that Bunge continues to receive soy from producers that use slave labor, and also highlighted their role in deforestation in Brazil and Argentina. The CEO merely said, "Thank you, but I'd also like to say that Bunge is entitled to its earnings from plantations that use of slave labor, even after we cut our contracts with them. If we find out they use slave labor, we are still entitled to the profits that they owe us." In essence, he said that they are still entitled to profits earned on the back of slave labor!
After about an hour, the meeting was over. Nobody came up to us to speak with us. It was clear that they wanted us to disappear and make believe that we had never been there. But, we're not going anywhere! And, with your help we will prevent this clandestine goliath from avoiding responsibility.
Full Statement of Andrea Samulon of Rainforest Action Network at the 2008 Bunge Shareholder's Meeting:
Good morning. My name is Andrea Samulon and I represent Rainforest Action Network. Our corporate campaigns seek to push companies to balance profits with principles, to show that it is possible to do well by doing good. We define doing good as respect for the planet and for basic human rights.
Unfortunately, Bunge's soy operations in South America are often carried out at the expense of the environment, human rights and our global climate--and in violation of national laws. Bunge management is misleading you, the shareholders, by not disclosing the full extent of the liabilities that it has and will continue to incur if it proceeds with business as usual. Slave Labor
Recently, the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment and Brazilian Federal Police rescued 20 workers from a soy plantation where workers quarters were made of straw. There were no sanitary installations or fresh water available for workers. The soy from this farm was purchased by the Urucui unit of Bunge Alimentos. I assume that there is no disagreement in this room that slave labor and the exploitation of workers are not only morally and legally unacceptable, but also poses an immediate risk to the viability of the company. Bunge management and shareholders are responsible for the company's practices, whether here in the United States or anywhere else the company operates. Forest Destruction I recently met with a colleague in Argentina who indicated that the deforestation rates in the Northwest of the country, in what is known as the Gran Chaco region, have skyrocketed. Soy plantations are moving in to the deforested areas. And, in much of the region Bunge is the only agribusiness company present. There is, therefore, no doubt in this case that you, the company management and shareholders, are buying, storing and processing soybeans grown on recently destroyed Chaco forest.
I hope that you'll join Rainforest Action Network in asking Bunge to do better. We are asking the company to stop clearing rainforests and other important forests to grow commodity crops and to eradicate slave labor and labor abuses from its supply chain. We know these actions are possible. Ask your company to meet these basic standards.
Bunge has been a signatory of the Brazilian National Agreement for the Eradication of Slave Labor since April 24, 2006. However, assessments on the company's supply chain reveal that Bunge continues to receive soy from producers that have used slave labor. These are purchases made after Bunge's entry into the pact and from estates that had already been identified on the Brazilian governments black list of slave labor. The soy purchased was destined for the Brazilian market and for export.
I also want to draw your attention to the impact of Bunge's soy operations on rainforests and other globally significant ecosystems. On March 28, 2008, the Federal Regional Tribunal in Brazil ruled against Bunge stating that the company is forbidden to use wood as a source of energy in its soy processing plants. Bunge continues to power its plants by burning old-growth forests from the fragile and mega-biodiverse Cerrado ecosystem along the edge of the Amazon rainforest. This business practice defies Bunge's public stance of promoting Cerrado conservation through its partnership with Conservation International. Ongoing disregard for the environment poses a serious threat to all of us, but also creates specific legal liabilities for the company and its shareholders.
