Day 001 - 28 Jun 94 - Page 53


     
     1        This is, of course, the Canadian market we are dealing
              with, but the position is the same in the United States.
     2        "The meat has been inspected and marked with" something
              or other.  The rest I cannot read it, but it really does
     3        not matter very much.  The important thing is that the
              person who supplies the meat, the person who supplies
     4        McDonald's, has certified that the beef was slaughtered in
              Canada.
     5
              Numerous examples of the modern form of the specification,
     6        which is to the same effect, that beef must be slaughtered
              and processed under US DA supervision in the United
     7        States, are to be found -- I will not ask your Lordship to
              look at them now -- in the yellow bundle, XII.
     8
              Finally, in this bundle there are two documents which your
     9        Lordship might find helpful at this stage.  They are at
              tab 47.
    10
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Which bundle is that?
    11
         MR. RAMPTON:  The one your Lordship has out, the one I was
    12        reading the 1983 document from.  At tab 47 first of all.
              This is a document from 1982.  Like the other documents,
    13        it is impressed with a Civil Evidence Act Notice, so that
              the document is evidence of the truth of its contents.
    14        This is dated 26th July 1982.  It is written from
              McDonald's head office near Chicago to a gentleman in
    15        England who has obviously made an enquiry, Mr. Graham
              Hooper of Isleworth.  The lady who writes, Elizabeth
    16        Densmore, is the manager of Community and Consumer Issues
              of McDonald's in America.  She writes:
    17
              "Dear Mr. Hooper, thank you for seeking clarification
    18        about McDonald's position regarding the clearing of
              tropical rainforests.  We share your concern about this
    19        environmental issue.  McDonald's has a long-standing
              policy of buying all of our products from suppliers in the
    20        host country where we are doing business.   This policy is
              designed to increase the financial stability of the host
    21        country and to assure the freshest and highest quality of
              products.  As a result, we can assure you that the only
    22        Brazilian bee" -- it appears that Mr.  Hooper must have
              asked about Brazilian beef -- "the only Brazilian beef
    23        used  by McDonalds is that purchased by the six stores
              located in Brazil itself.   Our research indicates that
    24        this is only a tiny portion of total national production.
              Further, McDonald's only real estate holdings in Brazil
    25        are sites purchased for restaurant development in major
              metropolitan areas. 
    26 
              We understand that the greatest cause of deforestation is 
    27        the desire for new agricultural land.  Timber harvesting
              cause one mill square kilometres to be cleared between
    28        1958 and 1978.  In 1966 and 1975 highway construction
              resulted in the loss of 25 per cent of the Brazilian
    29        Amazon, while cattle ranching contributed to 38 per cent.
              Of the meat produced from these ranches, 85 to 90 per cent
    30        was exported to the United States for use primarily in
              processed foods.  However, this amount represents only 2

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