Farmers clash with Tesco over beef imports

BRITISH farmers demanded this week that the Tesco supermarket chain prove that beef it imports from Brazil is fit to eat, and does not harm the environment or enslave farm workers.

Farmers’ Union of Wales deputy president Emyr Jones warned shoppers that growth hormones which are banned in Europe are routinely used in Brazil and 25,000 workers were transported thousands of miles from their homes and kept as virtual slaves on some Brazilian cattle ranches.

The UK, with Russia, Egypt, the Netherlands and Italy made up the top five markets for Brazil’s 189,407 tonnes of fresh beef exports in August.