The Australian Conservation Foundation has welcomed Coles' commitment to source deforestation free beef, and the supermarket's acknowledgement that deforestation contributes to biodiversity loss and climate change within its supply chain.
Releasing its 2025 sustainability report on Tuesday, the supermarket said it will stop sourcing beef linked to deforestation for all the beef it directly sources, up to 85% of its own-branded product, by the end of 2025, in accordance with the Science-based Targets Initiative.
"Coles is the last of the big three supermarkets to commit to stop bulldozing the bush for beef," said ACF's nature and business lead Nathaniel Pelle.
"Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi are the biggest suppliers of beef to Australian shoppers, so even this partial commitment from Coles has big implications for nature and for Australians who want to make sure what they eat is sustainable.
"Unfortunately, while it will be easier to support deforestation-free beef farmers at the supermarket, the same can't be said when you buy a burger at the drive-through as Hungry Jack's has no policy on deforestation and McDonald's will permit forest destruction in its supply chain until 2030."
Mr Pelle said Coles' failure to adopt a 100% deforestation-free policy is in part due to Australia's flawed traceability system and recalcitrant processors.
"Privately, the supermarkets say Australia's big meat processors, dominated by controversial Brazilian giant JBS and US-based Cargill, are the main barrier to traceability, as they withhold data.
"It shows why the Albanese government needs to take steps to ensure public funding of the national traceability system (NLIS) is conditional on the system being transparent.
"Recent investigations by ACF have found deforestation continues at an alarming rate across Australia, most of it carried out by a minority of beef producers.
"Farmers manage some of the most biodiverse forests and woodlands on the continent. Most do it well. But the bulldozing of nature by a small minority of beef producers has made Australia a global deforestation hotspot and puts responsible beef producers at risk of losing market access."
Coles' commitment follows similar targets set by Aldi and Woolworths.
ACF has urged Coles to set a clear timeline for 100% of its beef to be deforestation-free.
The Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi), one of the world's most influential corporate target-setting standards, requires all food and agriculture companies to commit to zero deforestation by the end of 2025 to retain a valid SBTi net zero target.
