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
