Colombia will track cattle from origin to supermarket after beef was tied to illegal deforestation

After reporting showed that beef connected to illegally deforested land was reaching Colombian stores, the country passed a far-reaching law meant to trace cattle from the farms where they are born through to retail sale. The law could become a template for other countries in the Amazon region. 

What happened?

The law tightens cattle-tracking requirements by creating a system intended to connect animals to each stage of the supply chain, from their place of origin to slaughterhouses and, ultimately, store shelves, according to Inside Climate News.

The push for the law followed findings by investigators and advocacy groups showing that Colombian supermarkets were selling beef sourced from cattle raised in national parks on illegally cleared land.

Cattle ranching plays a central role in Amazon deforestation because forests are often burned or cleared to open pastureland. Although the situation is not as simple as it seems, the ranchers face a complicated situation underneath the surface.

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reported that armed groups connected to drug trafficking have charged ranchers per-cow "protection" fees and issued illegal permits to clear forests.

The law is also arriving as export markets demand more proof that products are free from deforestation links. A 2022 European Union measure applies that pressure to beef and other commodities.

A 2021 EIA investigation found that Colombia had no way to trace cattle back to their birth, allowing animals to move across multiple ranches while their true origins remained hidden.

A later EIA review found that more than 200,000 cattle came from protected areas between 2020 and 2024, despite ranching being illegal there.

Why does it matter?

Stronger traceability would make it easier for consumers to avoid unknowingly buying beef or leather associated with illegal forest clearing.

It could also protect legitimate ranchers and companies from losing out to illegal practices concealed within the supply chain.

The Amazon holds massive amounts of carbon and is crucial to maintaining atmospheric stability.

When forests are converted into grazing land, it can worsen global warming and drive extreme weather events that disrupt food supplies, increase costs, and put public health at risk.

The law is set to roll out over the next two years and is expected to define who qualifies as a "deforestation-free producer," increase oversight in deforestation hotspots, and establish requirements for everyone from cattle auctions to slaughterhouses.

What are people saying?

Mighty Earth senior director Boris Patentreger said: "By requiring traceability from farm to slaughterhouse and linking cattle movement data with deforestation monitoring, Colombia is taking a critical step toward ensuring that beef and leather are no longer associated with forest destruction."

There is expected to be opposition from the illegal ranchers and extorters, an anonymous investigator cited by EIA said. 

"They don't want cows being traced back to their origin because it leads to them," the investigator said.

Patentreger added: "Traceability systems only work if they are transparent, enforced and accompanied by meaningful consequences for actors linked to deforestation."

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