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Deforestation: the Cerrado forest in Brazil threatened by soy production
Deforestation: the Cerrado forest in Brazil threatened by soy production
(franceinfo)
In Brazil, the Cerrado forest is threatened with disappearance by the exploitation of soya, part of the production of which is exported to France to feed livestock. A practice that does not comply with France’s commitments.
Seen from the sky, the Cerrado, in Brazil, looks like a mosaic of fields, where you can see here and there a few bits of this savannah-like forest. In the heart of Brazil, these high plateaus are perfect for plowing the land or spreading pesticides. An El Dorado for soy producers, in the crosshairs of environmental defenders. Behind a thin strip of forest, several hectares of Cerrado were razed in just a few days. The deforested area will not remain pristine for long.
A third of this soya exported to France
“They start by destroying the vegetation, they remove everything, they burn. Then they pass the limestone on the ground, and probably at the end of the year, they will start to plant”, explains an activist. The soya grown in this area has every chance of going to Europe. It will be used to feed livestock and poultry. “Nearly a large third goes directly to France”, says Boris Patentreger, France director of Mighty Earth. A practice “non-compliant with the European Union, and with the French strategy to combat imported deforestation, the SLDI”, he points out. Entire forests could thus be wiped off the map.
