Shafaqna English– An investigation made public on Thursday(10 Sep 2026) by Global Witness, a non-governmental organisation that campaigns against environmental abuse and human rights violations, alleges that several of Britain’s best-known retailers — among them B&Q, the country’s largest do-it-yourself chain, and Waitrose, an upmarket supermarket group — are stocking and selling barbecue charcoal that originates from trees felled in Paraguay’s Gran Chaco.
This vast, semi-arid region, which stretches across parts of Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia, is one of South America’s most biodiverse ecosystems and has suffered some of the world’s highest rates of deforestation in recent decades.
According to the advocacy group, the land is being cleared primarily to expand farmland and pasture, and the timber removed in the process is being converted into charcoal for export. The allegation therefore links everyday consumer products sold on British high streets to environmental destruction thousands of miles away.
Source: Reuters