We are all watching helplessly as the lungs of our Planet are burning at an alarming rate due to deforestation fires. But, as consumers, we actually have an important role to play, because we are indirectly creating the demand for meat, soy, palm oil and other products which are the main drivers of Rainforest deforestation all around the globe.
The NGO Mighty Earth has recently identified the main companies behind the Burning of the Amazon (report also in Spanish, Italian, French). These are:
- the meat and soy animal feed companies, like JBS and Cargill,
- and the global brands that buy from them and sell to the public: Mc Donalds, Burger King, Stop & Shop, Costco, Waltmart, Carrefour, and many many others all over the world.
In 2014, those companies signed the New York Declaration on Forests, to halve the loss of natural Forests by 2020, and strive to end it by 2030. But they are already telling us they will fall short of their commitment.
We, consumers from all over the world, have a powerful lever for action in our hands: put pressure on the companies in our countries to stop sourcing from deforested areas and behold their pledges to protect the rainforests. We must clearly demand to those companies to stop funding deforestation and climate change, and to integrate transparents sustainability standards in their supply chain strategy. Because this kind of pressure can take a toll on their image and profit, those companies cannot afford to ignore our demand as customers.
Another important lever of action that we have is to pressure our governments to intervene:
- by requiring economic sanctions against the countries violating human and environmental Rights,
- or by introducing stronger regulations regarding companies' supply chain standards.
You will find below a collection of petitions and pressure campaigns addressed to our governments and to the main European and North American companies reselling products from deforested areas. Don´t hesitate to sign them all, share, and get inspired to start you own petition, pressure Campaign, or protest action in your country!
The following list is not exhaustive. Do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to add a new petition to the list. You will also find many more petitions under https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/petitions
- Petitions to governments demanding economic sanctions
- Petitions to companies reselling products from deforested areas
1) Petitions to governments
European union
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Petition from WeMove.EU and SumofUs (English, German, French, Spanish, Polish)
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To: the Ministers of Trade, Environment and Agriculture of the EU countries and all European leaders
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Demand: halt negotiations for an EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, especially with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
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Open Letter from 600 scientists in the EU and 300 Brazilian Indigenous groups (represented by APIB and COIAB)
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To : EU
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Demand : make Mercosur conditional on: (i) upholding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; (ii) improving procedures to trace commodities associated with deforestation; and (iii) consulting with Indigenous Peoples and local communities to define strict social and environmental criteria for traded commodities.
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Sign if you are a sustainability scientist working in the EU: link English
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Universal Declaration of Tree Rights (French and several languages )
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From:Compagnie des Papillons Bleus, To: European Commission, UNEP, UN, Council of the European Union, European Parliament
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Demand: Adoption of a Universal Declaration of Tree Rights by all nations
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United Nations
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Petition from Defend Democracy in Brazil (English, Portugese ) to the U.N. Gen. Secretary Antonio Guterres
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Demand: Censure Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro
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Petition from Growing Air Foundation (Netherlands) (English) to the U.N. Gen. Secretary Antonio Guterres
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Demand: UN to protect all forests of the world and forbid deforestation for economic activities
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Brazil
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Petition from Avaaz (in English, Portugese German, French ) to the members of Brazil's Congress, the Government of Jair Bolsonaro, and world leaders
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Demand: do all you can to protect the forest, incl.passing laws to protect public Forests and end illegal deforestation, and bringing international pressure to Prevent further destruction of the Amazon
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Petition from Gabriel Santos (lawyer from Amazonia in Brazil) (English, Portugese, Spanish, French, German, Russian) To: all levels of government in Brazil
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Demanding to: investigate what is leading to the increase in fires in Amazonia and hold the culprits to account.
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Petition from Survival International (English, Portugese, German, French, Spanish, Italian)
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To: Jair Bolsonaro
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Demand: respect the Constitution and international Treaties ratified by Brazil by ensuring the protection of indigenous people territories and the respect of their Rights
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France:
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Open letter from Youth for Climate France, OnEstPret, All4Trees + several French Celebrities (French) To: President Macron
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Demand: Stoping the import of Beef and Soy from deforasted areas in Brazil, not ratify Mercosur, write the term of ecocide into French law, suggest other countries to do so during the G7
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Germany:
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Petition from Marianne Grimmenstein (private person) (in German ) To : Chanceller Angela Merkel
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Demand: conditional boycott of Brazilian agricultural products as well as non-ratification of Mercosur
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Petition from Campact (in German)
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To : German government (Chancellor Angela Merkel, Min. of Economics Peter Altmaier, Min. of Environment Svenja Schulze)
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Demand: no ratification of Mercosur without legally binding regulations regarding the protection of the Rainforest and the respect of the Paris Agreement
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Petition from a broad coalition of environmental NGOs (in German ) To: Angela Merkel
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Demanding the introduction of a Supply Chain regulation by 2020, making compulsory for companies to provide guaranties regarding human rights and environmental protection
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Austria:
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Petition from Greenpeace (in German) To: Austrian political parties Demanding to decide a veto on MERCOSUR in their next Assembly
-> Good news!! the EU-Mercosur trade deal was rejected on September 19th by the Autrian parliament's subcomittee!
Switzerland
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Petition from Landwirtschaft mit Zukunft (in German, French) To:the Federal council / Bundesrat
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Demand: Stop the import of environment-destroying meat and feed
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United Kingdom
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Petition from WWF (English ) To: the UK Government
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Demand: end the importation of goods that have caused deforestation and tackle the problem at the UN climate meetings in September
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2) Petitions to corporations
International
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Petition from Rettet das Regenwald e.V. (Germany) (English, German)
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To: the management of McDonald’s, Burger King, Walmart, Unilever and others
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Demand: Stop buying from Cargill
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Petition from Greenpeace (in English )
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To the management of McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King
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Demand: Stop sourcing soya and meat from Brazil until the Amazon and its people are protected
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France
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Petition from #IBoycott (in French ) To: Total
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Demand: Stop using palm oil in biofuels
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Petition from #IBoycott (Link in French ) To: Entreprise Lu
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Demand: Stop using palm oil in biofuels
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Petition from #IBoycott (in French ) To: Ferrero France
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Demand: Stop using palm oil in their products
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Petition from #IBoycott ( in French ) To: Mondelez (Oreo)
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Demand: Stop using palm oil from deforestation in their products
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United Kingdom
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Petition from Caitlin O'Regan (private person) (in English)
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To Morrisons (4th largest chain of supermarkets in UK)
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Demand: End partnership with JBS Beef
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USA
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Petition from Mighty Earth (US) (in English )
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To: President of Stop & Shop and the CEO of their parent company, Ahold Delhaize
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Demand: End partnership with Cargill, the largest trader of soy from Brazil
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Phone call Script from Mighty Earth / Action Network (in English)
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To: Costo (call their customer service on the phone)
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Demand: Stop selling products that finance the destruction of the Amazon
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