Vale
CEO: Eduardo Bartolomeo
Main business: Mining – iron, copper, nickel. Also manganese and gold
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: Carajás, Vale’s iron-ore mine in the state of Pará, is the largest in the world. Vale also controls Mina do Azul (manganese), Mina Onça Puma (nickel), Mina Sossego (copper and gold). It also controls Mina Salobo in Pará, the largest copper deposit ever found in Brazil.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Linked to deforestation in a 2017 scientific paper. In 2018 was ordered to repair environmental damage to land in Pará. In 2020 an investigation revealed that Vale had 236 applications registered with the national mining agency (ANM) for mineral exploration in Brazil’s Amazon basin, 214 on Indigenous territory. It withdrew all the applications the following year.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Protects more than 800,000 hectares (2m acres) of rainforest in the state of Pará, in partnership with Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade. Planning and design for the mines focused on reducing environmental impact and water use. The company funds extensive health, education, cultural and sports programmes across the region. It runs the Fundo Vale scheme, which supports green businesses and works to restore and protect thousands of hectares of forest. It also funds a research scheme – the Instituto Tecnológico Vale – which studies the Amazon’s biodiversity.
Has announced $2bn (£1.6bn) plans to reduce its emissions. In 2021 announced a “social ambition” programme to work with neighbouring communities.
Alcoa
CEO: Roy Harvey
Main business: Mining – aluminium and bauxite
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: Pittsburgh, US
Major operations in the Amazon: Runs the Juruti mine in Pará, which has been assessed as having a 700m-ton deposit of bauxite (the raw material used to make aluminium) – one of the largest in the world.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Brazilian federal and Pará state prosecutors sued Alcoa’s Brazilian mining subsidiary in 2005 in an effort to block the Juruti mine. In 2009 a Bloomberg report concluded that it would consume 10,500ha of primary rainforest in the Amazon and suck 500,000 litres of water an hour from the Amazon.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: After some negotiation, the government granted full collective land rights, and Alcoa agreed to pay rent for occupying community land, compensate for losses and damages, and give local people an annual share in mine profits. According to Mongabay, “more than 10 years on, Alcoa has reformed its corporate image and ways, earning an enviable collection of sustainability certificates along with a reputation for dialogue with local communities.” Alcoa’s Gênesis Costa told the publication: “We’ve invested 73m Brazilian reals [$14m] in Juruti in installations like the hospital, which seems set to become an [example] for the region.”
MRN
CEO: Guido Germani
Main business: Mining – bauxite
Ownership: Joint venture between Rio Tinto, Alcoa, Norsk Hydro, Vale
HQ: Porto Trombetas, Pará, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: The Oriximiná and Terra Santa mines in Pará, which produce bauxite ore.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Scientific report in 2017 linked MRN to deforestation. A Christian Aid report in 2022 alleged that MRN’s mining operations in Oriximiná had “caused the deforestation of extensive areas of tropical forest” and “polluted watercourses”, and argued that tax exemptions given to the company “cut directly into the budgets of the state and municipalities tasked with providing public services and investing in sustainable development”.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Company has rehabilitated Lake Batatain Oriximiná, and helped establish the Saraca-Taaquera national forest and Trombetas biological reserve to prevent further forest loss and environmental degradation. Has reforested 7,500ha, and invested more than $4m in social environmental projects.
Norsk Hydro
CEO: Hilde Merete Aasheim
Main business: Mining – aluminium
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: Oslo, Norway
Major operations in the Amazon: Owns four companies in Pará: Mineração Paragominas, which explores for bauxite in the Paragominas region; the Alunorte alumina refinery; the Albras aluminium factory and the Companhia de Alumina do Pará, all three in the Barcarena area.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Linked to water contamination in 2018 after heavy rainfall led to local flooding but stated that other factors had been responsible. A Dutch court ruled in 2022 that a case against the company related to the events could proceed. The company strongly disputes the allegations.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Has developed new techniques that safeguard communities and the environment. The $100m Hydro sustainability fund supports community investments. A rehabilitation programme is being operated around the Paragominas mine with the support of local universities. Since the 2018 storm, it has been building stronger links with local communities.
JBS
CEO: Gilberto Xandó
Main business: The world’s largest meat-processing company
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: São Paulo, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: Owns multiple abattoirs in the Amazon and sources livestock directly and indirectly from hundreds of farms throughout the forest.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Has been linked to deforestation. A report by Global Witness in 2022 highlighted failures by JBS, Marfrig and Minerva Foods to monitor their supply chain properly, and also raised issues with the auditors. In 2018 Norway’s state pension fund divested from the company over these concerns.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: In 2020 the company pledged to build the Green Platform, which would allow it to monitor all suppliers by 2025. Runs the JBS Amazon Fund, backing initiatives to promote sustainable social and economic development in the Amazon. In 2021 promised to publish a net-zero action plan, with targets consistent with the criteria of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a partnership between CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), the UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Marfrig
Chairman: Marcos Antonio Molina dos Santos
Main business: Processing meat
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: São Paulo, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: Owns abattoirs and sources directly and indirectly from multiple farmers.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Has been linked to deforestation. Discussions over a $200m loan from the Inter-American Development Bank – tied to environmental targets – were broken off because, according to the IDB, conditions were “not ideal”. Marfrig said the talks were ended mutually due to a disagreement over “financial conditions” and methodologies. In December 2021 the Norwegian state pension fund placed Marfrig under observation “due to risk that the company contributes to serious environmental damage”.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Took the industry lead with the Marfrig Verde + pledge in 2020 to have full traceability of its Amazon cattle by 2025. Marfrig created a risk-mitigation map for the Amazon and other Brazilian biomes, for direct and indirect suppliers, to identify the areas most exposed to deforestation and social conflicts. The company says it now monitors 100% of direct suppliers, while for indirect suppliers, traceability rates have reach 80% in the Amazon biome and 74% in the Cerrado biome.
Minerva Foods
CEO: Fernando Galletti
Main business: Beef producer and exporter, also in processed foods
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: Barretos, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: Owns numerous abattoirs and sources from farmers.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Has been linked in the past to deforestation. The company says that it uses the best-available technology in its traceability practices to ensure compliance with environmental, labour and land tenure regulations within its portfolio of producers.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Minerva is the only company to monitor all of its direct supplier farms, according to its reports. Pioneered the wider application of geospatial monitoring technology, tracks the condition of ranches, ensuring that cattle bought by Minerva do not originate from illegally deforested ranches; or possess environmental embargos (punitive measures imposed by inspectors to stop activities that degrade the environment). Is working with suppliers to get them into its low-carbon emission “Renove” programme.
Brasil Biofuels
CEO: Milton Steagall
Main business: Agribusiness, biofuels and renewable energy
Ownership: Privately owned
HQ: São João da Baliza, Roraima, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: Sustainable cultivation of palm oil, biotechnology lab, biodiesel plant, renewable energy thermoelectric plants, and biorefinery under construction to produce hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) biofuels.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Biopalma, bought by BBF in 2020, was the subject of a federal investigation into the impact of pesticide contamination from the plantations. A police investigation cleared the company. BBF was also accused of violence and intimidation by a neighbouring community. The company counters that in fact they have been the victims of theft and assault and state that good relationships with local communities are a vital part of their working philosophy.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: The BBF Group sees its mission as “decarbonising the Amazon forest and changing the energy matrix of the northern region of Brazil”. Developing a sustainable model for producing palm oil is one of the prime goals. According to the company, under the strict Brazilian palm-oil regulatory system, plantations can only be on land previously defined as degraded.
More than 6,000 jobs created in the Amazon. The company estimates that more than 25m tons of carbon have been stored by the 11m trees it has planted. The biofuels produced by the company and used by Amazon residents lead to a significant amount of avoided emissions. The company says its biofuel-powered thermoelectric plants produce clean energy for remote Amazon communities. Also supports local communities with transport and technological projects.
Agropalma
CEO: Beny Fiterman
Main business: Biofuels
Ownership: Part of Alfa Group, privately held
HQ: Belem, Pará
Major operations in the Amazon: Plantations, extraction plant and refinery in Pará.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Faced allegations of landgrabbing. The company says all their land was acquired in good faith but is continuing to look into possible issues predating their purchase. Subsequently, the certification of their plantations has been temporarily suspended by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. The company says it remains a member and expects to have the suspension lifted soon.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: The company says it is committed to zero deforestation: since 2002, the company no longer converts forests into palm plantations. Primary responsibility for a 64,000ha Amazon forest reserve. Has pioneered palm oil family farming and is committed to providing formal employment for families to help them into guaranteed and sustainable work. Runs a school for 500 children. Partnered for 15 years with Conservation International to develop a sustainable production model that has registered 1,029 species of Brazilian fauna in Agropalma’s forest reserves.
Suzano
CEO: Walter Schalka
Main business: Eucalyptus pulp
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: São Paulo, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: The Suzano factory in Imperatriz, Maranhão, lies on the border between the Cerrado, a large area of tropical savanna, and the Amazon, and sources from both biomes.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? “Coconut breakers” – women who harvest coconuts – complain that Suzano’s expansion is displacing the palms they depend on; the company denies this. Eucalyptus production is also water intensive, and local populations have complained that river levels are affected.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Suzano has a regenerative business model, planting more than 1.2m trees every day in degraded land, only harvesting what it plants, with 40% of its land (nearly 1m hectares) set aside for permanent conservation. Eucalyptus plantations are being seen as a way of achieving reforestation and carbon capture goals, supported by the regional government, which has announced that it will use eucalyptus to help replace some of its lost forests. The plantations can help solve the climate crisis, the company says.
In 2022, Suzano began a project to connect 500,000ha of priority conservation areas through biodiversity corridors, and also announced the launch of a new forest restoration venture to restore and conserve 40,000 sq km of Brazilian forest, which will involve planting 2m trees of native species. Runs a number of social programmes with local communities.
Cargill
CEO: Brian Sikes
Main business: Commodity traders
Ownership: Largest privately owned US company
HQ: Wayzata, Minnesota
Major operations in the Amazon: Cargill buys from a number of plantations in the Amazon.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Has been linked to deforestation in the Amazon and the neighbouring Cerrado. Named as the “world’s worst company” by Mighty Earth in 2019. In the report’s foreword, the former US congressman Henry Waxman wrote of their exchanges with the company: “We’ve successfully worked to improve the environmental and human rights practices of dozens of companies, but have never encountered a company that has such difficulty translating high-level commitments into action.”
The environmental law charity ClientEarth has now filed a legal complaint against Cargill over its failure to adequately deal with its contribution to soya-driven deforestation and human rights violations in Brazil. The company says it has “an unwavering commitment” to eliminate deforestation in Brazil.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: One of the original signatories to the Amazon Soy Moratorium (ASM). Supported the Coalizão Brasil, which pleaded with Brazil’s far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro, not to leave the Paris climate agreement or dismantle the environment ministry.
Has accelerated its commitment to eliminate deforestation in its soya supply chain in the Amazon, Cerrado and Chaco biomes by 2025. Is investing in programmes and training to help farmers, increased technology to improve traceability, and investments in teams in Brazil and throughout South America in order to accelerate deforestation efforts. Committed $30m to launch the Land Innovation Fund for Sustainable Livelihoods, which funds projects that empower farmers and protects forests across South America.
Bunge
CEO: Greg Heckman
Main business: Agribusiness
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: St Louis, Missouri
Major operations in the Amazon: Bunge buys from a number of plantations in the Amazon.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Has been linked to deforestation in the Amazon. Company is working to eliminate deforestation from its supply chains and announced last year that it was beating its own targets.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Signatory to the Soy moratorium since 2006. In 2021, 98% of Bunge shareholders backed a proposal to reduce deforestation, with the support of the directors.
ADM (Archer Daniels Midland)
CEO: Juan Ricardo Luciano
Main business: Commodity traders
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: Chicago
Major operations in the Amazon: Buys from a number of farms.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Has been linked to deforestation.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Pledged to achieve 100% deforestation-free supply chains by 2025. Member of the Round Table on Responsible Soy Association.
Louis Dreyfus
CEO: Michael Gelchie
Main business: Commodity traders
Ownership: Shareholders
HQ: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Major operations in the Amazon: Louis Dreyfus buys from a number of plantations in the Amazon.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues and human rights conflicts? Linked to deforestation.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: Supports the extension of the ASM, and the first major soya company to announce a policy to eliminate the destruction of native ecosystems and endangered wildlife from its soya supply chain.
Amaggi
CEO: Judiney Carvalho de Souza
Main business: Soya beans
Ownership: Privately owned
HQ: Cuiabá, Brazil
Major operations in the Amazon: Amaggi buys from a number of plantations in the Amazon. Largest of the Brazilian soya traders.
Any links to deforestation, environmental issues, and human rights conflicts? Supply-chain analysts Trase calculate that Amaggi has been exposed to deforestation risk.
Ways it gives back to the Amazon: The only global soya production and trading company to get an “A” rating for tackling deforestation from CDP in 2021. Given 9/10 for its approach to tackling deforestation by Global Canopy’s Forest 500 rankings. Member of the soya bean working group, which aims to fight deforestation in the Amazon. Has social investment programme focused on food security where it operates. Signatory to the Soy Moratorium. Also runs the André and Lucia Maggi Foundation (FALM), which was founded in 1997 and supports local communities and runs a scholarship programme among other activities.
