Day 001 - 28 Jun 94 - Page 54


     
     1        per cent of the United States total beef consumption.
              Again, none of this meet is used by McDonald's.
     2
              The importance of rainforests to the ecology of South
     3        America has been well-documented.  We believe that our
              policy helps to enable its preservation by restricting
     4        demand for exported beef.
 
     5        Please be assured that  we continue to monitor this issue
              and adapt our policies and practices as necessary to
     6        protect the global environment on which we all depend."
 
     7        My Lord, finally, in this bundle there is a statement of
              McDonald's' position at that time (and it was no different
     8        then from what it is now), no rainforest beef, no imported
              beef; never have done and never will.
     9
              Tab 49, my Lord, which is a letter from McDonald's in
    10        Canada to the World Wild Life Fund in Canada dated 22nd
              February 1983,  Mr. Monty Humal is the recipient.
    11
              "Dear Monty, good to receive your letter of 31st January
    12        1983.  Sorry it has taken me a bit of time to get back to
              you.  I wanted to again totally check the facts and be
    13        sure prior to writing you that I was fully aware of
              McDonald's situation worldwide.  I have found out the
    14        following:
 
    15        McDonald's in the US supplies all of its bee locally.  Its
              beef is all US beef.  I turn to the situation about
    16        Canada," and your Lordship has seen those documents.
 
    17        "In Europe and all countries that are members of the EEC
              the same is true, the beef is bought locally in each
    18        country.  Australian beef is used for Australia and New
              Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.  We recently
    19        opened in the Philippines and the beef for the Philippines
              is likewise purchased locally. We have a small operation
    20        in Brazil.  They currently have ten restaurants open.  The
              beef that is purchased in Brazil comes from the San Palo
    21        area the plains states, and there is no beef that is
              remotely connected with any rainforest."  My Lord, I need
    22        not read any more of that.  That is the position in
              February of 1983.
    23
              My Lord, it follows from this, that is to say, the rule
    24        against imported which has been transported around the
              world to all the countries where they operate, save with
    25        exception of some countries in the Pacific rim and get
              their beef from Australia, that there is absolutely no 
    26        room for any suggestion that McDonald's, whether by design 
              or accident, whether in the United States or anywhere else 
    27        in the world uses or ever has used beef imported from
              rainforest countries.
    28
              My Lord, that necessarily also excludes the possibility
    29        that McDonald's are importing cattle fed on grain grown in
              poor countries where it ought to be used to feed the
    30        people of those countries.  If you do not import the beef,
              then you do not import cattle of that kind either.

Prev Next Index