The Colombian traceability bill is intended to give consumers a way to determine whether production of beef they buy at the supermarket has contributed to deforestation. (Photo by Christina Noriega)
New legislation enacted in Colombia will help environmentally conscious consumers know whether the beef they buy in supermarkets is deforestation-free. On May 5, Congress passed a law that tracks individual cattle from birth to slaughter, part of an effort to ensure that the supply chain of commercial beef does not contribute to rampant deforestation in the Colombian Amazon. In recent years, deforestation has skyrocketed in Colombia’s southern Amazon region, where 60% of tree loss is concentrated. Most of the deforestation is linked to extensive cattle ranching, which has converted primary forests into grazing lands for cattle. Research has shown that beef originating in deforested areas ends up in supermarkets across the country. The legislation modifies a 2013 Colombian cattle-traceability law by integrating cattle vaccination records, property titles, and satellite images of deforestation hotspots. Authorities say that by cross-referencing those databases, they can better identify whether commercially sold... [Log in to read more]
