06/21/2024
The bill that sought to monitor and improve the traceability of meat production in Colombia as part of a fight against deforestation sank in the Congress of the Republic. The initiative was presented by House Representative Juan Carlos Losada and had the support of actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
The American actor would have shown his support through his social networks and expressed his interest in protecting the biodiversity of the Amazon.
“Nearly 3 million hectares of the Colombian Amazon have been destroyed in the last seven years. To stop that destruction, the Colombian Congress has the opportunity to take a historic step to protect the Amazon by approving the deforestation-free livestock traceability bill,” The actor published days ago on his Instagram account.
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The “Deforestation-Free Livestock” project proposed gather information on the cattle from birth until it reaches the final consumer. ANDThe data included their location, mobilization and vaccination inventory.
Another aspect included in the initiative was the Forest and Carbon Monitoring System and the National Registry of Deforested Areas, in addition to the fact that milk and meat suppliers for large companies and livestock concentration and slaughter centers ensured, in within a period of two years, the implementation of practices to not affect protected areas.
The initiative also provided that those who met the standards of producing meat that does not come from deforested areas They had a distinctive seal for their marketing.
For DiCaprio, “The deforestation-free livestock traceability bill would mean a tremendous step forward in protecting vital places like the Chiribiquete National Park, a World Heritage Site – lush with biodiversity and home to dozens of indigenous groups, currently threatened by deforestation.” ”.
The project was not approved because there was no consensus in the Senate of the Republic, so, according to its speaker, it will be presented in the next legislative period, which begins on July 20.
“This initiative was essential to stop deforestation in the Amazon and of course we are going to file it again on July 20”said Representative Losada, also explaining that he hopes that in the next period those who had signed the presentation of other parties such as the Democratic Center, the Conservative Party, the U Party and the Liberal Party, will continue to do so.
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According to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, there was an increase in this scourge of 40% during the first quarter of 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year.
Although, according to the entity, one of the main factors that affects the Colombian jungles is illicit crops, the second aspect that helps increase deforestation is the misuse of native vegetation for livestock, as confirmed by a study by the Amazon Network of Georeferenced Socio-Environmental Information where it was shown that three out of every four hectares deforested in the Amazon were used for livestock farming.
