Report: Burger King contributes to

deforestation in Brazil, Bolivia

By Arthur Neslen, The Guardian, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.12.17
Word Count 684
Level 890L

TOP: A Whopper Jr. meal sits on a tray at a Burger King restaurant. Burger King has been buying animal feed produced on
soy plantations that caused loss of tropical forests in Brazil and Bolivia, according to a new report. Photo by: Justin Sullivan/
Getty Images. BELOW: Soy plantations in the Amazon rain forest have caused rapid loss of forest ecosystems. Photo by:
Ricardo Beliel/Brazil Photos/LightRocket via Getty Images.

A new report is raising questions about how Burger King gets its animal feed. The hamburger
chain uses soybeans to feed livestock like cows and chickens. The report says these
soybeans were grown on land cleared by burning tropical forests in South America.

The environmental group Mighty Earth researched and wrote the report. The group estimates
that 1,729,738 acres of forest land were cleared between 2011 and 2015. Jaguars, giant
anteaters and sloths have all been affected by the loss of land.

Mighty Earth says evidence shows a pattern of forest-burning. The evidence was gathered
from satellite imaging, field study and flying drones. Drones are small unmanned planes that
are controlled remotely. Studies also were used to see where supplies were coming from.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Forest Was Cleared For Farms

Farmers burned the forest to grow soybeans for Burger King’s suppliers, Cargill and Bunge.
These companies grow animal feed. They sell it to Burger King, either directly or through other
companies. They are the only two agricultural companies known to operate in areas of South
America that Mighty Earth studied.

The connections are clear, said Glenn Hurowitz. He is the CEO of Mighty Earth. Bunge and
Cargill sell grain to Burger King and other big meat-sellers, Hurowitz said.

Burger King competitors like McDonald’s, Subway and KFC are not perfect, he added. Still,
these companies are doing more than Burger King to protect the forests.

"If Burger King does not respond immediately to people who want to know where their food
comes from, then people should shop elsewhere,” Hurowitz said.

Brazil, Bolivia Are Focus Of Report

The report focuses on farms in Brazil and Bolivia, two countries in South America. In Bolivia,
mainly forest lands have been cleared. In Brazil, the grassland region known as the Cerrado is
being cleared. Deforestation, or forest clearing, is now happening at a faster pace in the
Cerrado than in the Amazon rainforest.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

More than half of the Cerrado’s natural growth has been cleared. That compares to one-fourth
of the Amazon’s natural growth.

One of Burger King’s suppliers buys soy from Bunge. The soy comes from the Cerrado, based
on information from the Stockholm Enterprise Institute.

Last year, nearly 4.9 million acres of land was deforested in Brazil. That is up from 3.7 million
acres in 2015. About 2.1 million acres of forest was cleared in Bolivia. That compares to 1.6
million acres a year in the 2000s.

Food Companies Not Doing Enough, Critic Says

Not all of the forest-clearing was linked to soy crops. Still, Mighty Earth says food companies
are not doing enough to prevent the clearing. In fact, they offer deals that encourage it, the
group says.

Burger King does not release details about its suppliers. The company does not rule out
buying products grown on deforested land.

Sharon Smith works for the Union of Concerned Scientists. It is a non-profit group that
promotes science. Smith said Burger King is one of the world’s largest fast food companies.
However, it is consistently at the bottom of the list when it comes to protecting nature.

"The fast food giant needs to follow its competitors like McDonald’s and demand that its
suppliers are not destroying tropical forests,” Smith said.

Burger King had no comment. Bunge also did not comment.

Cargill Says It's Planning To Stop Deforestation By 2030

Cargill responded in a written statement. It said it plans to cut deforestation in half in its supply
chains by 2020. The statement also said Cargill plans to end forest-clearing by its suppliers by
2030.

The statement continued, “In Brazil, we have seen great progress as we partnered to advance
the soy moratorium in the Amazon." The moratorium does not allow forest-clearing for
soybean planting. It has been in effect for more than 10 years. The statement also said Cargill
is working with farmers and governments to protect forests.

Critics say Cargill is not doing enough. The company has not taken steps to extend the soy
moratorium beyond the Amazon. Representatives say Cargill has refused to do so because
there is no "crisis situation" when it comes to deforestation. Critics disagree.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3