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The mega fast-food chain Burger King has been purchasing animal feed produced in soy plantations carved out by the burning of natural forests in Brazil and Bolivia, according to a new report by campaign group Mighty Earth.
Mighty Earth’s investigative report put the spotlight on Burger King’s supply chain by using satellite mapping technology, visiting 28 soy plantations and interviewing local farmers across 3,000 km.
Sloths, jaguars, giant anteaters and other species have all been affected by the disappearance of natural land. Local farmers carried out the deforestation to grow soybeans for Burger King’s suppliers Cargill and Bunge, the two agricultural traders operating in the area.
Glenn Hurowitz, CEO of Mighty Earth, stated: “The connections are quite clear. Bunge and Cargill supply Burger King and other big meat sellers with grain. McDonald’s, Subway and KFC are not perfect but they’re doing a hell of a lot more 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.”
Unfortunately, Mighty Earth’s solution to “grow more soy and cattle on less land” gives rise to factory farms, which are terrible for animal welfare, human health and the environment.
Burger King was also implicated last year in a report by The Union of Concerned Scientists for failing to uphold adequate protections against sourcing its products from lands cleared for animal agriculture.
