Define ‘tree’: The fight over Woolworths’ eco-beef pledge

Woolworths’ ban on beef reared on deforested land has prompted farmers to campaign for rules to define the practice that would allow them to chop down trees as part of their land management.

Any tree that is felled to make room for agriculture is deforestation, according to the definition supported by the United Nations and World Wildlife Fund, and endorsed by the supermarket giant in August as part of its push to become more sustainable.

Land clearing at Cuttabri in north-western NSW. Image taken in 2023.Credit: Australian Conservation Foundation

But this hardline definition has sparked a fierce debate between farmers and conservation groups about when removing trees to make way for grazing land should be called deforestation.

At stake is Woolworths’ substantial share of Australia’s red meat market, which was worth $13.6 billion in domestic sales in 2022.

Millions of hectares of trees have been cleared in Australia since 2016, government-compiled figures show. The NSW government found that 130,000 hectares of land of woody vegetation, including trees, was cleared for agricultural purposes between 2016 and 2021 – the latest available data. At the same time, more than 2 million hectares of trees were cleared in Queensland, mostly for agriculture.

Farmers say much of this clearing is on land that is actively managed to remove vegetation on Australia’s vast cattle properties.

On Monday, Peak lobby group Cattle Australia released a definition of deforestation that it wants to be adopted by governments and large corporations such as Woolworths, declaring that only beef producers who breached state and federal land clearing laws deserve to be accused of deforestation.

But conservation groups argue there is far too much habitat loss under the current laws, with land clearing a top cause of Australia’s ongoing extinction crisis. They want Woolworths, alongside state and federal governments, to impose tougher standards.

Woolworths will continue to consult farmers before releasing its final position. The ban on deforestation beef will kick in by December 2025, in line with its competitor Aldi’s previous commitment, which states: “The biggest cause of deforestation in Australia is the clearing of land for agricultural farming.” Coles has not made a similar commitment.

Cattle Australia said its members already complied with more than 136 vegetation laws.

“We are proud to play a part in ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of our environment for generations to come through responsible land management – a role we take extremely seriously,” chief executive Dr Chris Parker said.

Wilderness Society manager of policy and strategy Tim Beshara said Australian companies must align with global commitments to show consumers they are acting sustainably.

“Any serious deforestation-free commitments need to align with internationally recognised, robust initiatives,” he said.

“Financiers, international markets and consumers will see straight through this attempt to continue business as usual.”

Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said Cattle Australia’s definition of deforestation, which focused on compliance with state and federal laws, was insufficient to stem environmental losses.

“We are the only OECD country on the list of global deforestation hotspots because our laws don’t work,” he said.

A Woolworths spokesperson said it was reviewing Cattle Australia’s land management commitment policy, which contains its definition of deforestation.

“We support the development of a localised deforestation definition which recognises Australia’s unique landscape and vegetation, while ensuring responsible land management,” the spokesperson said.

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