Coles commits to going deforestation-free
After a year-long campaign to take deforestation off the shelves of our supermarkets, Coles is the final major Australian supermarket to commit to going deforestation-free.
Today Coles announced that it will only source deforestation-free beef and other commodities by the end of 2025.
This comes after months of public pressure against the supermarket giant, which saw:
- Over 4,400 Greenpeace supporters email the Coles CEO demanding they commit to zero deforestation.
- Satirical catalogue ads which outlined Coles’ responsibility to address deforestation in its supply chain.
- A demonstration at the Coles AGM, with allies from The Wilderness Society and Australia Conservation Foundation.
© Greenpeace / Toby Davidson
This commitment from Coles follows in the path of Woolworths and ALDI, who made deforestation-free commitments earlier in 2024. Our campaign also moved McDonald’s to make a similar commitment.
In Queensland, an average of 300,000 hectares of forest and bushland is bulldozed just for pasture conversion every single year. Most of this is for beef. With all 3 major supermarkets now committed to removing deforestation from their supply chains, this will see a huge shift in the deforestation and land management practices of the Australian beef industry.
But the fight for our forests is far from over, as Coles’ report highlights a glaring industry-wide blindspot. Major beef purchasers like Coles don’t have access to full supply chain traceability for cattle, meaning they only monitor for deforestation on the last property before the abattoir – most likely a feedlot which could already be classified deforestation-free – rather than its entire life cycle.
If these companies can rule deforestation out of their beef supply chains, millions of native animals will be saved.
– Gemma Plesman, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Deforestation-free beef right across corporate supply chains will have a monumental impact on Australian forests and wildlife. Every year, 100 million animals are killed, injured or displaced in NSW and QLD alone because of deforestation – and this is primarily being driven by beef production.
Endangered species that rely on healthy forests for habitat, like the koala and greater glider, now have a better chance of survival – and this is because of the thousands of Australians who stood up against greedy corporations to demand they stop destroying our forests.
Our work to end deforestation doesn’t end today. This year, we’ll be holding all of these companies to account and making sure they uphold their deforestation-free commitments and ensure they are able to trace cattle right through their life-cycle – from farm to supermarket shelf.
We’ll also continue lobbying the Federal Government to introduce strong nature protection laws at home in Australia, as well as mobilising our community of nature lovers to stand up against deforestation in the largest rainforest on Earth: the Amazon.
