Cattle Australia welcomes Woolworths’ support for localised deforestation definitions as debate rages on

Australia’s peak grass-fed beef producer body has welcomed Woolworths’ announcement to work with graziers on localised definitions of deforestation as the supermarket giant moves towards its zero deforestation policy. It comes after Woolworths released its annual report, in which it officially committed to achieving net zero deforestation in its own brand products by 2025, fulfilling a pledge the company made when it signed on to a Science Based Targets initiative in 2020. In the same breath, Woolworths acknowledged the need for localised definitions for deforestation, which Cattle Australia has been pushing for in the wake of international trade restrictions on agricultural products linked to deforestation. “We are sensitive to the issue around evolving definitions of deforestation and the need to apply these definitions in the appropriate context for our supply chain, industry and geography,” Woolworths’ report read. “We will actively engage with farmers, suppliers, industry and other key stakeholders to support progress together. We will continue to take a collaborative approach towards our targets, working together with suppliers.” CA CEO Chris Parker welcomed this acknowledgment and said it was “a win” for producers who operated under “some of the toughest and most extensive vegetation management laws in the developed world”. “It is vital the fog of confusion that has been created by some environmental groups around misleading deforestation perceptions is refuted and ignored,” Dr Parker said. “The continued focus on their interpretation of international frameworks, in which these groups ignore or downplay the land use assessment requirement of the predominant agricultural use, is disingenuous at best. “We strongly encourage all major supermarkets and other industry stakeholders to not fall for this trap.” Earlier this year, the European Union announced it would bar EU companies from importing beef products from properties where deforestation had occurred over the past four years. The trade restriction, which will come into action on December 30, sparked heated debate, with CA arguing that the EU’s definitions of deforestation is not conducive with how Australian beef is produced. CA has since began work on its own, industry-led definition, which environmental groups such as the Australian Conservation Foundation slammed as a means of taking advantage of “agriculture land use loopholes”. However, Dr Parker said it was “ludicrous” for Australian beef producers to abide by policies and definitions created by other nations, and argued a “one size fits all” approach to defining deforestation would not be effective. “We acknowledge the commonsense now being shown by some significant linkages in the beef supply chain in their approach to supporting both ecological health and Australia’s role as a key contributor to global nutrition and food security,” he said. “We play a vital role in contributing to the resilience of our communities and nation, and as custodians of more than 50 per cent of the country’s land mass, we are proud to play a part in ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of our environment for generations to come.” Dr Parker said CA would address the “nuances of the Australian beef production system” and would remain committed to promoting sustainability credentials for the red meat supply chain.