Cargill promised to end deforestation in its supply chains by 2020. But now the agriculture giant is having second thoughts.

Three years ago, the company made a pledge to protect forests in all their agricultural supply chains. “We know we can do it,” said Cargill CEO David MacLennan. “Our stakeholders demand it. And it is the right thing to do.”

However, some Cargill suppliers have been slow to get the message. New satellite and drone images point to fresh forest-clearing by Brazilian and Bolivian soy farmers linked to Cargill. In 2016, Amazon deforestation rose for the first time in more than a decade. 

Tell Cargill: end deforestation in your supply chains. You know you can do it, your stakeholders demand it, and it is the right thing to do.

Recent statements by the company make reference to a '2030 deadline' indicating that the company may be reconsidering its 2020 deadline for a zero-deforestation supply chain.

Scientists and advocacy groups argue that the current rate of deforestation would make this ten year delay devastating for the Amazon. "If we were to wait till 2030," says one expert, "there would be no forest left."

Even now, the damage to Amazon forests is making a significant impact on the earth's climate. Eighty percent of Bolivia's carbon dioxide emissions are linked to deforestation. Brazil's 3.5% rise in greenhouse gas emissions last year was also explicitly tied to forest clearing. 

In the past year, thousands of SumOfUs members have come together to fight deforestation, and succeeded. We pressed food multinationals like PepsiCo and Restaurant Brands to adopt deforestation-free supply chains. Now it's time to use people power once again.

Tell Cargill: There's no time to waste. Commit to a zero-deforestation supply chain now. 

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