Global craze for collagen linked to Brazilian deforestation

Tens of thousands of cattle raised connected farms that are damaging tropical forests successful Brazil are being utilized to nutrient collagen – nan progressive constituent successful wellness supplements astatine nan centre of a world wellness craze.

The links betwixt beef and soya and deforestation successful Brazil are good known, but small attraction has been fixed to nan booming collagen industry, worthy an estimated $4bn (£3.32bn).

Collagen tin beryllium extracted from fish, pigs and cattle. Its astir evangelical users declare nan macromolecule tin amended hair, skin, nails and joints, slowing nan ageing process. As good arsenic beauty and wellness brands, it is besides utilized by pharmaceutical companies and those producing nutrient ingredients.

However, an investigation by nan Guardian, Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Center for Climate Crime Analysis (CCCA), ITV and O Joio e O Trigo successful Brazil has recovered cattle raised connected farms causing deforestation were processed astatine abattoirs serving world collagen proviso chains.

Some of this collagen tin beryllium traced to Nestlé-owned Vital Proteins, a starring shaper of bovine collagen supplements. Vital Proteins’ collagen scope is sold globally, including successful nan US and UK.

Jennifer Aniston, nan character and main imaginative serviceman of Vital Proteins, has called collagen “the glue that holds everything together”. She claims to person been utilizing it for years, adding it to her greeting coffee.

While location are studies suggesting taking collagen orally tin amended associated and tegument health, Harvard School of Public Health cautions imaginable conflicts of liking beryllium arsenic astir if not each of nan investigation is either funded by nan manufacture aliases carried retired by scientists affiliated pinch it.

Collagen companies person nary responsibility to way its biology impacts. Unlike beef, soya, thenar lipid and different nutrient commodities, collagen is besides not covered by forthcoming owed diligence legislation successful nan EU and UK designed to tackle deforestation.

Nestlé said that nan allegations raised are not successful statement pinch its committedness to responsible sourcing and that it has contacted its supplier to investigate. It added that it is taking steps to “ensure its products are deforestation-free by 2025”.

Bovine collagen is described arsenic a byproduct of nan cattle industry, which successful Brazil accounts for 80% of each Amazon forest loss.

But “byproduct” is simply a misleading term, according to campaigners. Non-meat products, of which leather and collagen are nan astir valuable, relationship for conscionable nether half a slaughtered cow’s weight and tin generate up to 20% of meatpackers’ incomes, according to nan USDA.

Demand for beef, leather and collagen has seen much and much wood has been cleared and replaced by pasture successful caller years, pinch onshore often seized illegally.

Most livestock-driven deforestation tin beryllium attributed to companies’ indirect suppliers, according to Ricardo Negrini, a national charismatic successful Brazil’s Pará authorities who monitors beef processors’ ambiance commitments.

Cattle are often moved from workplace to workplace for different stages of rearing, truthful a cattle calved connected deforested onshore whitethorn beryllium fattened for bulldoze astatine a “clean” finishing ranch. But Negrini said that, today, each nutrient companies person nan capacity to way nan origins of nan cattle they buy.

• This communicative was produced pinch support from nan Pulitzer Center’s Rainforests Investigations Network