Toxic Takeaways

The report documents a pattern of forced evictions, illegal chemical fumigations, and the criminalization of land defenders in eastern Paraguay, driven by the expansion of industrial soy production. It identifies US traders ADM, Cargill, and Bunge as primary conduits, linking these abuses to European meat processors 2 Sisters and Danish Crown. The document argues that voluntary sustainability initiatives and 'mass balance' certification schemes are insufficient to prevent the import of 'tainted' soy into the EU and UK, and calls for mandatory human rights due diligence legislation.

• Indigenous and campesino communities in eastern Paraguay face severe human rights violations, including forced evictions, armed attacks, and chemical poisoning, to secure land for soy export.
• US commodity traders ADM and Cargill dominate the Paraguayan soy market, handling approximately 40% of exports, and are linked to producers responsible for human rights abuses.
• Illegal soy fumigations in communities like Yerutí and Campo Agua’e have caused severe health issues and cultural loss, with the UN finding that the Paraguayan government failed to provide an effective remedy.
• The Paraguayan state is accused of complicity through the failure to enforce environmental laws and the active repression of land activists, including increasing prison sentences for 'property invasion'.
• Supply chain mapping links Paraguayan soy to 2 Sisters (UK's largest chicken company) and Danish Crown (Europe's largest meat processor) via traders ADM, Cargill, and Bunge.
• The 'mass balance' certification system used by the industry is described as an 'accounting trick' that allows soy from non-compliant or abusive farms to be mixed with certified soy, effectively laundering tainted products into European markets.
• Proposed EU legislation, including the Deforestation Regulation and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), contains loopholes that may allow companies to avoid accountability through third-party verifications and limited supplier scopes.
• Major soy traders and feed industry associations (Fediol, Coceral, FEFAC) have lobbied the European Commission to weaken traceability and segregation requirements in deforestation laws to protect commercial confidentiality and keep prices low.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Toxic Takeaways. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/toxic-takeaways/

Chicago

Global Witness. Toxic Takeaways. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/toxic-takeaways/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Toxic Takeaways |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/toxic-takeaways/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndtoxic, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Toxic Takeaways}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/toxic-takeaways/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }