Stop Conflict Beef from Destroying Nicaragua’s Forests

Together, we can demand that major retailers cut ties to beef linked to land theft, human rights abuses, and environmental destruction.

From the rainforest to your grocery aisle

Right now in Nicaragua, Indigenous communities are being driven from their ancestral lands so that cattle can graze. These cows are illegally raised in protected areas cleared to make room—destroying irreplaceable rainforests, threatening imperiled wildlife, and fueling climate change.

This ‘conflict beef’ can end up in U.S. grocery stores through complex supply chains that mix illegal beef with legitimate products.

A new report from the PATROL campaign, supported by Re:wild, found that major U.S. retailers risk selling beef linked to human rights abuses and environmental destruction.

You can read the full report in English here or in Spanish here.

Tell Retailers: No to Conflict Beef

As consumers, we will not stand by. We have the power to demand that the retailers selling us food refuse to profit from stolen land and ecological catastrophe.

Please sign this petition to tell Aldi, Applebee’s, Burger King, Chili’s, Cracker Barrell, Dairy Queen, Kroger, Sam’s Club, and Walmart to investigate their beef supply chains, cut any ties to conflict beef, and commit to protecting people and the planet.

Open Letter

To the CEOs and Boards of Directors of Aldi, Applebee’s, Burger King, Chili’s, Cracker Barrell, Dairy Queen, Kroger, Sam’s Club and Walmart:

We, the undersigned, are calling on you to take immediate action to ensure that your stores and supply chains are free from beef linked to land theft, human rights violations and environmental destruction in Nicaragua.

Recent investigations have revealed that some Nicaraguan beef is produced on land illegally taken from Indigenous communities and within protected forests that are cleared for the cattle and their feed. This ‘conflict beef’ fuels human rights abuses and accelerates deforestation in critical ecosystems such as the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve and the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve. These areas are not only home to threatened wildlife, but also form part of our planet’s irreplaceable carbon and biodiversity reserves.

As a leader in the retail industry who has been identified as one of the companies at risk of sourcing ‘conflict beef,’ your company has the power—and the responsibility to act. As your customers, we ask that you:

Investigate your beef supply chain to determine if any products originate from Nicaragua.
Adopt and enforce strict sourcing policies prohibiting the purchase of beef from land illegally taken from Indigenous Peoples or from protected areas and require suppliers to demonstrate birth to slaughter traceability and measures to prevent the laundering of illegal cattle into their supply chain.
Increase transparency by publicly reporting your beef suppliers and the steps you are taking to verify their compliance.
Support traceability measures in your supply chain and advocate for stronger national laws to stop the import of conflict-linked commodities.

Your customers want to know that the food they buy is not tainted by human rights violations or environmental destruction. Taking decisive action will not only protect your company’s reputation--it will protect lives, Indigenous rights, and the forests we all depend on.

We urge you to lead the industry toward ethical product sourcing that honors human rights and safeguards the environment.

Sincerely,

The below undersigned