Agriculture and food

Profundo previously calculated the total costs of damage linked to the climate devastating cash flows from Rabobank to Brazil. In a follow-up study, Profundo calculated which damage claim accrues directly to Rabobank. This shows that Rabobank is responsible for at least 9.5 billion euros of the total damage, and in the worst-case scenario that responsibility even rises to 61 billion euros. When calculating Rabobank's share, Profundo looked at a.o. the profit made and the knowledge of the chain players involved.

This report looks at the role played by major international banks in financing fossil fuels and industrial agriculture in the Global South. Bank financing provided to the fossil fuel industry in the Global South reached an estimated US$3.2 trillion in the seven years since the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was adopted. Bank financing provided to the largest industrial agriculture companies operating in the Global South amounted to US$370 billion over the same period. The report also examines the current role of public financing in supporting fossil fuels and industrial agriculture, and how public finance could instead support a transition towards a more sustainable future based on renewable energy and agroecology.

On behalf of WWF Germany and IUCN NL Profundo developed a benchmarking report which compares the European Feed Manufacturers' Federation Soy Sourcing Guidelines (FEFAC SSG) and 20 Voluntary Standard Systems (VSS) against a set of 49 basic provisions and 11 additional requirements that cover the most important sustainability topics in the soy industry. Assessment criteria focus on deforestation and ecosystem conversion, landscapes and biodiversity, social issues and human rights, traceability, and governance and assurance. They are based on EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Accountability Framework Initiative (AFi) Core Principles, the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), FEFAC SSG, and WWF conservation agenda. Almost all standards have become more robust since 2019, when the previous benchmark was published. 20 of them already go beyond legality in their no-deforestation requirements, and 17 also cover other ecosystems beyond forests. Despite the general improvement in all standards, independent multi-stakeholder initiatives outperform corporate schemes across an array of environmental and social criteria and are better prepared for the EUDR. The report also showed that voluntary standards are part of a bigger toolbox for companies. They can be used for compliance with legislative regulations, but in fact offer so much more: comprehensive ecological and social requirement that can help companies to take on their responsibility for understanding their supply chains and making them more sustainable for the benefit of our societies and the environment. Based on the conversations with the standard holders, we already see that those who have an ambition to become EUDR-compliant are actively adapting their requirements and implementation guidelines. To better reflect this process and its outcomes, this benchmark will be updated on the EUDR-readiness in the first half of 2024.

This research assessed the corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies of ten Netherlands-based vegetable seed companies against fundamental, internationally accepted human and labour rights guidelines. The results show that corporate efforts are falling short in their adequacy to prevent and mitigate labour rights breaches in the supply chain, such as living wages, child labour, and women’s rights. Several of the assessed seed companies have no CSR policies in place. Companies with a CSR policy in place still fall short of describing how those commitments are brought into practice. There are close trade links between the Indian and Dutch vegetable seed sectors, consisting of both local companies and subsidiaries of multinational businesses. India plays an important role in the trialling and propagation of hybrid vegetable seeds due to favourable growing conditions, a large market, and cheap labour for the intense manual work. Important seeds traded with the Netherlands include tomatoes, sweet pepper, and cucumber.

Chain Reaction Research experts laid out a guide for understanding some of the most advanced Sustainability Due Diligence Initiatives that corporations and investors will have to manage. These initiatives will have significant impacts on producers, traders, and investors in tropical commodity supply chains like cattle, soy, palm oil and more as their efforts to eliminate deforestation and illegal activities are watched more closely.

A new study for WWF demonstrates that global financial institutions continue to be exposed to deforestation, conversion and human rights risks through their portfolios by financing corporate buyers of palm oil that are lagging behind on their sustainability commitments. In the period January 2016 to December 2021, financial institutions provided US$4.4 trillion to the 239 entities who are also buyers of palm oil. During the same period, nearly US$1.5 trillion were allocated to loans and underwriting. In addition, as of April 2022 which is the most recent filing date US$2.9 trillion were held in bonds and shares.

Sodrugestvo is a Luxembourg-based agro-industrial group with Russian ownership. While less known than the top soy traders, it has significantly expanded its sourcing, processing, and trading of Brazilian soy in recent years. The company is linked to various social and environmental issues.

Belgian imports of bioethanol made from sugarcane have increased dramatically. Brazil was the key origin for sugarcane feedstock, accounting for 73% of the sugarcane-based bioethanol consumed on the Belgian market in 2021. However, severe human right violations are identified in producing areas include harming the rights of women, children and indigenous communities, worker’s rights, civil and political rights, health rights, the right to education, food, adequate housing, to physical integrity and to live. While the research uses Brazil and Peru as examples, the findings are applicable for the broader context of first-generation biofuels.

Research shows that Rabobank, one of the biggest Dutch banks, invests millions into the environmentally destructive industrial livestock sector. The study finds that between 2015-21 Rabobank provided extensive financial services to the five biggest meat and dairy companies (JBS, Marfrig, Tyson Foods, Dairy Farmers of America and Fonterra), including a total of $1.9 billion in corporate loans, underwriting $1.2 billion in bond issuances and providing revolving credit facilities.

The report analyzes the potential deforestation in the supply chains of JBS, Marfrig, and Minerva that would not be compliant with the upcoming EU Law. Since the meatpackers do not monitor all indirect supply, they cannot guarantee compliance with the upcoming EU Deforestation law. Thus, meatpackers, leather operators, and FMCGs may face legal and reputational risks.

This report discusses the traceability requirement of the new EU regulation on deforestation-free products and the feasibility of its implementation in cattle and soy supply chains in Brazil. Traceability is crucial to ensure that commodity production is not linked to deforestation or forest degradation.