An aerial view shows deforestation near a forest on the border between Amazonia and Cerrado in Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, July 28, 2021. (Reuters)

A recent investigation into the supply chain of Brazilian soya beans used to feed British livestock has found that the UK meat sector and supermarkets it supplies are still contributing to the illegal deforestation of Brazil's Amazon.

The investigation by the environmental organizations Mighty Earth, Reporter Brazil, and Ecostorm combined satellite data with on-the-ground observations to show proof of a direct connection between soya beans shipped from Brazil to the UK by US commodities giant Cargill and illegal deforestation in the Amazon.

"If Cargill, the biggest privately-owned US company, wants to be part of the solution to the climate and nature crisis, it needs to source from suppliers farming on previously degraded land, of which there are 1.6 billion acres in Latin America, alone. Not from those who are still torching forests," said Glenn Hurowitz, CEO of Mighty Earth.

In further detail, the report specified that 400 hectares of forest were destroyed last year at Santa Ana farm in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, estimating that the region contained 220,000 trees.

The farm provides soy to Cargill, which distributes the beans to countries all over the world, most notably the UK, through Brazil's Santarem port.

Cargill removed the farm from its list of authorized suppliers in response to a Brazilian probe into prior illegal deforestation on the property; however, the firm reinstated it in 2022.

It is worth noting that Cargill imports over 70% of the soy consumed in the UK, and 75% of that soy originates in Santarem, Brazil.

A vital component of animal feed is soy, especially for hens. Once soya is sent to feed mills, it is nearly impossible to identify any soy that may be connected to unlawful deforestation.

Avara Foods, the largest chicken producer in the UK and a part-owner of Cargill, is one of the UK producers with the most exposure to Brazilian soya. Cargill also provides direct feed supplies to Avara Foods.

Avara supplies many leading supermarkets and suppliers including Tesco, Asda, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, McDonald's, KFC, and Nando's.

"Our investigation shows Tesco is a basket of problems for the Amazon," said Gemma Hoskins, UK director at Mighty Earth.

"While the UK's top retailer reaps massive profits, it continues to do business with known forest destroyers such as Cargill, adding fuel to the fire of Amazon deforestation, harming the health of local communities, and decimating wildlife and precious habitats," Hoskins added.