{"id":22715,"date":"2026-06-09T21:19:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T21:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/09\/colombia-passes-law-to-track-cattle-and-keep-deforestation-linked-beef-out-of-supply-chains-wsls\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T21:19:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T21:19:04","slug":"colombia-passes-law-to-track-cattle-and-keep-deforestation-linked-beef-out-of-supply-chains-wsls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/09\/colombia-passes-law-to-track-cattle-and-keep-deforestation-linked-beef-out-of-supply-chains-wsls\/","title":{"rendered":"Colombia passes law to track cattle and keep deforestation-linked beef out of supply chains &#8211; WSLS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Steven Grattan<br \/>Associated Press<br \/>Published:\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-06-09T21:01:59.000Z\">June 9, 2026 at 5:01 PM<\/time><br \/>Steven Grattan<br \/>Associated Press<br \/><strong>NEW YORK<\/strong> \u2013 Colombia has enacted a landmark law requiring the cattle industry to trace livestock and prove beef supply chains are free from <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/deforestation-report-colombia-coca-parks-illegal-mining-d7bc81405f292a4288ba19fba4cc8b73\">deforestation<\/a>, a measure environmental groups say makes it the first tropical forest country to adopt such a nationwide framework.<br \/>The law requires government agencies and private companies to integrate cattle-tracking, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/amazon-united-nations-indigenous-mining-latin-america-3743e4dfb3068fe5721561fb4e96139e\">land ownership<\/a> and deforestation-monitoring systems to identify livestock linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/climate-and-environment\">forest loss<\/a> and keep them out of supply chains.<br \/>Recommended Videos<br \/>Supporters say the measure could help tackle one of the leading causes of deforestation in Colombia\u2019s Amazon, where cattle ranching has long been associated with land grabbing and the clearing of forests for pasture.<br \/>The law comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/amazon-colombia-election-environment-espriella-cepeda-president-037e7f6eb5ba8e9e678f1433eb3914d0\">Colombia<\/a> seeks to reverse decades of forest loss, much of it driven by the expansion of cattle ranching into previously forested areas. Supporters say it could close longstanding loopholes that have allowed cattle raised on illegally cleared land \u2014 including inside protected areas and national parks \u2014 to enter legitimate supply chains and eventually reach supermarkets and export markets.<br \/>A demand for beef not linked to deforestation<br \/>Susanne Breitkopf, director of forest campaigns at the Environmental Investigation Agency U.S., an environmental watchdog that has investigated deforestation linked to Colombia\u2019s cattle industry, said the law could become a model for other tropical forest nations.<br \/>\u201cIt is a victory for forests, for the communities that protect them, and for consumers who demand that the beef they purchase does not contribute to deforestation and illicit economies,\u201d Breitkopf said. <br \/>The legislation also arrives as governments and businesses face growing pressure from international markets to demonstrate that commodities such as beef are not linked to deforestation. Environmental advocates say <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/climate-change-cattle-tracking-deforestation-brazil-cop30-53aaa3a2e1bfc85acdabc3143aa18be3\">traceability<\/a> systems are increasingly becoming a prerequisite for access to some overseas markets and could help authorities better identify land grabbing and illegal forest clearing by cutting down or burning forest.<br \/>Colombia has lost about 3.3 million hectares (8.2 million acres) of forest \u2014 an area roughly the size of Belgium \u2014 according to organizations that supported the legislation, with the problem particularly acute in the Amazon region.<br \/>Creating a nationwide legal framework<br \/>Brazil\u2019s Amazonian state of Para has adopted traceability requirements for cattle producers and committed to tracking individual animals throughout the supply chain, but environmental groups say Colombia\u2019s law goes further by creating a nationwide legal framework. <br \/>A 2025 analysis by the Environmental Investigation Agency found that hundreds of thousands of cattle were transported between 2020 and 2024 from municipalities overlapping national parks.<br \/>The law is the result of years of campaigning by environmental organizations, researchers and lawmakers who argued that weak oversight allowed cattle linked to illegal deforestation to move through Colombia\u2019s fragmented supply chain. <br \/>Natalia Katixa Escobar, a researcher at Dejusticia, a Colombian legal and policy research center that has studied links between cattle ranching and deforestation, said the law helps bridge a longstanding divide between environmental and agricultural oversight.<br \/>\u201cOne of its first achievements is that it creates a bridge between environmental and agricultural policy,\u201d she said. \u201cThe control mechanisms associated with cattle ranching and cattle traceability had no environmental perspective.\u201d <br \/>Colombia&#8217;s environment Minister Irene V\u00e9lez Torres told The Associated Press the government hopes the measure will help distinguish producers who operate responsibly from those linked to forest destruction.<br \/>\u201cThis means it will become increasingly difficult for the destruction of forests or economies associated with illegal activities to hide behind seemingly legitimate supply chains,\u201d V\u00e9lez said.<br \/>A 2-year timeline for implementation <br \/>Within six months, the government must establish programs to help suppliers comply with the new requirements, create a certification system for deforestation-free products and provide funding to strengthen monitoring systems in active deforestation hot spots.<br \/>Within a year, authorities must regulate procedures governing the country\u2019s cattle identification and traceability systems and establish due diligence requirements for deforestation-free cattle ranching.<br \/>By the end of the second year, slaughterhouses, meat processors, cattle auctions, traders and live cattle exporters will be required to implement due diligence policies and best practices aimed at ensuring their supply chains are free from deforestation.<br \/>The legislation also requires the gradual integration of government databases, allowing officials to compare information on land tenure, cattle ownership and forest loss for the first time.<br \/>Supporters say those measures could significantly improve authorities\u2019 ability to identify cattle raised on recently deforested land and prevent them from entering legal markets.<br \/>But the law\u2019s success will depend largely on implementation, including whether the government can adequately fund new systems and enforce the rules in remote regions where illegal deforestation remains widespread.<br \/>If fully implemented, supporters say, the law could become a model for other tropical forest nations seeking to protect forests while maintaining access to increasingly demanding international markets.<br \/>\u201cThe real test will be what happens on the ground,\u201d Escobar said, noting that while the law could improve oversight and information-sharing, reducing deforestation will also depend on governance and enforcement in remote regions of the Amazon.<br \/>\u201cWhether it will significantly reduce deforestation in the Amazon remains to be seen,\u201d she said.<br \/>___<br \/>The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. 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