Xinuxi Mỹky, the village elder, says that this area was a forest where different villages thrived. Only one is left now and the farms have cut that land too. “This pasture, where the white people live, was also our village, but now they raise cattle. The land belonged to us: to the indigenous peoples.’ For decades, the Mỹky have been fighting for the recognition of the full extent of their territory, as established by technical studies. Amid the legal uncertainty, farmers have moved onto the land and the federal government has not evicted them. Under Jair Bolsonaro, the process of official land recognition has been frozen. Until very recently, little progress had been made. But an investigation can now reveal that cattle raised here ended up in a slaughterhouse linked to a global supply chain that includes food and drink company Nestlé – which uses beef in baby food, pet food and condiments. Other major companies in this supply chain include McDonald’s and Burger King. The slaughterhouse in question is owned by Marfrig, Brazil’s second-largest beef company, which says it does not buy animals from farms that illegally encroach on indigenous land or destroy parts of rainforest. But an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), O Joio e O Trigo, NBC News and the Guardian found that hundreds of cattle raised within the claimed territory of the indigenous Menku were taken to Marfrig’s Tangará da Serra slaughterhouse. A number of the more than 700 Marfrig cattle suppliers analyzed were linked to 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) of deforestation in recent years. Marfrig said it could not respond to the allegations without more detailed information. The findings raise new concerns about the beef trade’s impact on the world’s largest rainforest – a vital buffer against climate change – and call into question the industry’s commitments to monitor supply chains and combat deforestation.
Land and Livelihoods
Farmers on the disputed land oppose the Mỹky’s claims, contesting the demarcation of the area and have the support of some local politicians. The small indigenous community that lives there – consisting of 130 people – feels under pressure as a result. André Lopes, an anthropologist working with the Mỹky people, said the community was often threatened. “The relationship with local farmers is volatile, unpredictable and can be one of persecution and open hostility in some cases,” he said. A farm next to the Mỹky district in Brasnorte, part of Mato Grosso state in Brazil. Photo: Coletivo Ijã Mytyli de Cinema Manoki e Mỹky The expansion of large-scale agriculture in the region has also affected the Mỹky’s ability to feed themselves, limiting fishing and hunting areas and contaminating the land with heavy-duty pesticides, Lopes added. For Paatau Mỹky, the farm fences are a barrier to her art, blocking access to palm trees. Traditionally, women use tucum fibers to make handicrafts such as fishing nets and baskets. “We used to live in this space, but the white people came and took our land and our forest,” he said. “From this farm we got tucum to make the ropes for our nets, and which today has become a place for raising cattle.”
Mega meat
Marfrig is one of Brazil’s biggest meat producers, with 32,000 employees and 2021 revenues of around $15bn (£13.3bn). It slaughters up to 5 million cattle annually in South America. Shipping records show that the Tangará da Serra slaughterhouse has exported more than 1 billion pounds of beef products since 2014 to various buyers. Destinations include China, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A cross-check of the images with public records identified two properties that overlap Myky’s claimed territory, one of which — Cascavel Farm — transported cattle directly to Marfrig in 2019, according to documents obtained by TBIJ. The farm did not respond to the bureau’s requests for comment. Marfrig told TBIJ that she considers indigenous lands to be only those that have received presidential approval. Since Bolsonaro took office in 2019, he has approved none. Nestlé says it has “phased out” Marfrig as a meat supplier in 2021 and that this will be reflected in its annual supplier list update. The company said that 99% of the meat it sources is “assessed as deforestation-free” and that it is taking further steps to ensure that no meat ingredients from Marfrig enter its supply chain. The most important stories on the planet. Get all the week’s environmental news – the good, the bad and the must-haves Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. McDonald’s said it was not sourcing meat from farms that overlap Menku territory in 2021 and 2022. Burger King said it was not discussing strategic suppliers. Meanwhile, a comparison of satellite imagery and land registry documents shows forest loss over a six-year period within the perimeter of many of the ranches that feed the slaughterhouse, with more than 150 square kilometers of deforestation visible over that period. Cattle on Apyterewa Indigenous land in Para State. Photo: Roger Assis/ISA Socioenvironmental Marfrig has repeatedly been linked to illegal deforestation through its vast supply chain, which includes around 10,000 ranchers in Brazil. In 2020, an investigation by Repórter Brasil reported how cattle were directly and indirectly supplied by ranchers raising animals illegally in the Apyterewa Indigenous region in the state of Pará – one of the most deforested Indigenous regions in recent years. Marfrig claimed at the time that the equipment used by the authorities to demarcate the land was not precise and allowed a margin of error. Marfrig told TBIJ that it “ceased operations in the state” in March 2020. Last year, TBIJ reported that beef from farmers accused of illegal deforestation had made its way into global supply chains, including those serving Marfrig. The company says that without more details about the properties involved, it cannot verify whether or not these farms are in compliance.
Law of the land
The dispute over Mỹky’s land is being heard in Brazil’s highest court. A recent preliminary ruling favored the community over the farmers, but the case is not over yet, the high court told TBIJ. The state environmental authority for Mato Grosso confirmed to the office that the farms in question are on indigenous land, but said that because the land has not yet been formally demarcated under a policy implemented under the Bolsonaro administration, the properties are not illegal . Cristina Leme, senior legal analyst at thinktank Climate Policy Initiative, sees no basis for the farmers’ argument. “The Brazilian constitution protects all lands traditionally occupied by indigenous peoples,” he said. “There is no justification, constitutionally speaking, to allow the registration of a property that overlaps the Menku area.” In Brazil, land registration in rural areas is self-declared. As Ricardo Pael, a federal prosecutor in Mato Grosso, said: “Anyone can claim to own a piece of land, wherever it is. What needs to be done is a quick review by appropriate government agencies to verify the legitimacy of this self-declaration.” Tupy Mỹky, an indigenous teacher, said: “There is a lot of talk about conservation and people are worried about climate change. But in practice, we don’t see any kind of concrete action. We natives are fighting alone.” This story was produced with support from the Pulitzer Center
