You have most likely read about the wildfires in Brazil that are devouring the Amazon Rainforest. The latest reports speak of over 72,000 wildfires, up 84% from last year. Many of those fires were set by farmers looking to expand their farmland. The biggest enemy of the Amazon is human agriculture activity, mostly cattle ranching for beef exports. The authorities looked the other way. Brazilian beef exports grew last year by 11% to now 1.64 million tons a year.
And it is not only beef. Soybeans are often produced in areas that used to be rainforest to feed other livestock around the world. Soybeans are Brazil’s number one export. Every day, one and a half football fields are cleared for agricultural use in Brazil.
We cannot blame the local farmers though. The whole world consumes Brazilian agricultural products. A farmer from Cuiaba, Brazil that was interviewed by a German Newspaper last week stated: “But you are eating our beef. What are you complaining about?”
We think there is hope, though. In every crisis, there is an opportunity and it is not too late yet. At Cayuga, we are eternal optimists.
There is a chance that more and more people will take action and make changes in their lifestyles due to the recent developments. Everybody is talking and concerned about the Amazon burning right now. So let’s do something. How about if we focus on reducing our meat intake. While the ideal solution would be a vegan diet, we could focus on consuming less beef or eliminating it from our diet.
Here is what we did last month at some of our Cayuga Collection Hotels in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama: We took beef off the staff menu at our Arenas del Mar Hotel in Manuel Antonio (we feed over 100 employees there every day). By the end of the year, beef will be off all of our employee menus at all Cayuga Hotels.
We also just implemented new and amazing Vegan Menus at several of our hotels with amazing flavors. We promise you won’t miss meat. Our new Cayuga Collection Hotel Kinkara and its Farm to Table concept inspired us to go more vegetarian and vegan every time.
Every action counts. How about making a change this week yourself? Write to us at hans@cayugaonline.com or comment below if you want to share your story.
If you are concerned about Co2 emissions caused by plane travel, read our blog about “flight shame” here.
2 Responses
great comment and leadership Hans!
all the best,
Ellen
Congratulations, I will be the happiest person eating in your restaurants after 42 years being vegetarian traveling around and many, many times eating only rice…, it is true!
If your staff learn about these new options, make sure you are also impacting their families.
But following the idea of acting local, I will like to suggest to look and buy only local pineapple. They are one of our big concerns.