Livestock group announces 'Greenpeace' summit
15/07/2009
The Agriculture and Livestock Industries Federation of Mato Grosso (Famato) is to hold a meeting on July 16 for representatives of local producers whose businesses have been affected by a ban on beef from the Amazon region.
A number of influential retailers, including Wal-Mart and Grupo Pão de Açúcar, said in June they would stop stocking beef that came from abattoirs in areas close to the Amazon rainforest after a critical report from non governmental organisation Greenpeace. The Greenpeace report said the beef and leather industries were responsible for some of the deforestation that has gone on in that part of Brazil.
However, Famato director Eduardo Alves, said in the build-up to the meeting: "We want to hear what livestock producers have to say about this and reach a consensus about how best to tackle the situation. Producers, workers and the whole economy of Mato Grosso are suffering because of this and we shall spare no effort to clear our name."
He said the situation had arisen as a result of "a false idea that the NGO has placed in people's heads".
He pointed out that the steps taken by the retailers affected almost 70% of the livestock reared in the state, but insisted local farmers paid a great deal of attention to the environment. "We're all aiming for sustainable production," he concluded, "and, in doing so, we have to keep to strict legislation that is already in place concerning production in the Amazon region. But, while we're working towards that, we can't allow an NGO from overseas to dictate how the sector should be run."
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