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.
