This project shows the gray areas in the traceability of meat coming from deforested areas in the Amazon in Colombia.
Reporting identifies areas deforested for intensive cattle farming and people who move cattle to slaughterhouses. In addition, a podcast investigates large supermarkets, questioning them about suppliers, the origin of their cattle, and how they can guarantee that cattle are not contaminated by deforestation. Some chains sell meat with certifications that promise deforestation-free products. This project shows the ambiguous nature of these certifications and the gaps in traceability.
We will also report on middlemen, showing how cattle from deforested areas are traded and end up in slaughterhouses with little oversight by environmental authorities. In La Macarena National Park, we have identified deforestation corridors associated with a high density of cattle.
