COLES says it is actively working towards making a formal commitment to eliminate deforestation from its supply chains, following Woolworths’ commitment last year.
The two supermarkets have signed up to an organisation called the Science Based Targets initiative, which is pushing them to set “no deforestation” targets by 2025 – with beef on a list of “high-risk” commodities. Other big customers of the Australian beef industry, including McDonald’s, are part of the group.
SBTi was set up by a group of environmental organisations, including the WWF and the UN Global Compact. The WWF labelled Australia a “deforestation front” in 2021, putting the clearing of regrowth on cattle stations in the eastern states on the same level as chopping down the Amazon rainforest.
Woolworths and McDonald’s have both locked in their commitments to “no deforestation” with Coles being the last of Australian beef’s big customers to formalise the move.
As a result of Coles slower move to formalise the commitment, the company has copped the brunt of environmental groups campaigning to make sure they do it.
Groups like the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society and Greenpeace have gone into overdrive to pressure the company. They have been running online campaigns superimposing pictures of koalas on meat wrappers on Coles shelves and protesting at Coles’ annual meetings.
Asked why Coles has been quiet about its deforestation plans, a spokesperson said the formal commitment was in the works.
“We are committed to working with our farmers, suppliers, and industry partners to reduce our impact on the environment,” the spokesperson said.
“We are actively working towards releasing a formal no deforestation commitment; however, this process is still underway.”
The SBTi has to approve commitments, with the organisation giving companies like Coles a complete guide about what they can and can’t say about their commitments.
Deforestation details are limited
Neither Woolworths or Coles have given much detail as to how they plan to define deforestation or what it will mean for producers who supply them.
Cattle Australia last year developed a definition of deforestation in the Australian context, which concluded the deforestation was the illegal clearing of land that met forest thresholds. The environmental groups have their own definition.
It is unclear whether either of the two supermarkets will use the Cattle Australia definition. Woolworths says it plans to work with industry and Coles last year said it was going to create a “beef roadmap” to govern and meet the commitment.
Cattle Australia chief executive officer Dr Chris Parker said the organisation was actively working with the companies.
“Cattle Australia’s Land Management Commitment Strategy spells out exactly how seriously we take this issue, and the incredible contribution cattle producers make to managing and enhancing our natural environment,” Dr Parker said.
“CA is now working proactively with the beef supply chain – including Coles – to embed key elements of the Strategy within the Integrity Systems Company’s processes so that the industry is aligned to a single set of recording and reporting standards for sustainability practices.
“Further, our producers are held accountable to their commitment to responsible land management by 136 different State, Territory, and Commonwealth laws relating to vegetation management activities.”
Vegetation management policies a job for legislators
Asked whether Cattle Australia thought companies like Coles and Woolworths should be setting deforestation targets, Dr Parker said:
“Cattle Australia strongly believes that the Australian industry and the Australian legislative structures are the most appropriate means for setting and enforcing land management standards – not a hodgepodge of vested interest groups and foreign governments, which do not have the detailed knowledge of the Australian environment and our cattle production systems pushing the deforestation agenda.
“If these groups were serious about the Australian environment, they would recognise that invasive plants, pests and diseases are the number one issue impacting biodiversity loss in Australia, and that producers are spending $5.3 billion annually in managing these threats, all while contributing to global food security through the export of protein.”
How about they put pictures of Koala’s on the verande’s the houses these people live in rezoned from habitat to residential hypocrits
Apologies for borrowing the slogan, but Cattle Australia needs to get back on track.
When will they ban the use of electricity being generated by wind turbines and solar farms which are being built on todays deforestation, not something done in Australia’s colonialization times?