Corporations in Europe are failing to do the right thing in respect of conservation and it is time for governments to force them to behave ethically in protecting nature.
A non-profit group that investigates environmental crime, Earthsight, have linked the leather seats and other leather fittings in BMW and Jaguar Land Rover cars to illegal deforestation in South America which, as we know, destroys the habitat of many wild species including jaguars (ironically), giant anteaters and one of the world’s last uncontacted human tribes.
They claim that the illegal forest clearances have occurred in the Chaco region of Paraguay. The Totobiegosode forest has been partially cleared to be used for cattle ranching to produce leather which is shipped to an Italian company which in turn supplies the car manufacturers mentioned.
They discovered this when executives at Paraguay’s biggest tannery told undercover researchers that their leather was used by Jaguar Land Rover. And BMW is supplied by two slaughter-houses which buy cows from ranches based on the illegally cleared aforementioned forest.
Earthsight say that Europe is “awash with the product of deforestation and human rights abuses”. They believe that European corporations are failing conservation and must be forced to change their ways. An Italian company Pasubio supplies BMW and Jaguar Land Rover and they are the biggest consumer of leather from Paraguay. They deny the claims. Paraguay’s minister of industry also denies the claims and said that local laws and international protocols are being complied with.
Jaguar Land Rover and BMW also deny the claims and say that there is no evidence for them.
