Marfrig - deforestation pledges Brazil-based meat heavyweight Marfrig has agreed a US$30m finance deal that commits it to zero deforestation in its operations. The finance agreement, signed with the international investment fund &Green, with assistance from Netherlands-based public-private partnership IDH, also commits Marfrig to the conservation of forests, the recovery or compensation of native vegetation and intensified use of low productivity areas. The Sao Paolo-based business, the world's second-largest beef producer, revealed the terms of the agreement in a note to shareholders. It said: "&Green requires stringent environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria to be complied with and obtaining this financing shows that Marfrig is capable of meeting such rigorous sustainability criteria."