Huge quantities of soy are still being imported from South America for the German animal feed industry. A study by Deutsche Umwelthilfe and the environmental organizations Mighty Earth and Client Earth once again shows how soy cultivation in Brazil is linked to the destruction of nature, human rights violations and large-scale deforestation. Profiteers include Tönnies, Westfleisch and poultry meat company Rothkötter.
Despite all voluntary commitments, the companies continue to profit from soy cultivation on destroyed areas of the Brazilian wet savannah (Cerrado). However, imports take place along non-transparent trade chains. The study accuses the agricultural trading company Bunge of ignoring the destruction of nature and human rights violations such as the displacement of the local rural population in order to sell the soy to the German animal feed industry.
Tönnies & Co. are therefore partly responsible for neo-colonial exploitation and are also suspected of undermining the German Supply Chain Act. Since the beginning of 2024, companies have been obliged to ensure that human and children’s rights as well as environmental protection requirements are observed in supply chains (including at suppliers).
They, in turn, reject the accusations. In a Tagesspiegel article, Tönnies even accuses Deutsche Umwelthilfe of slander. Bunge and other wholesalers are merely “upstream suppliers for animals delivered to Tönnies”, so there is no need for action.
Further information (german):
Tagesspiegel article: https://archive.is/qZfqu
Study of Deutsche Umwelthilfe: https://www.duh.de/fileadmin/user_upload/download/Projektinformation/Naturschutz/Soja/Soy_Story_Deutsch_Release_2810_komprimiert_f%C3%BCr_web.pdf (PDF, 72 Seiten)
Backgrpund information on neocolonialism and feed imports: https://gemeinsam-gegen-die-tierindustrie.org/uber-neokolonialismus