A new Reuters investigation has uncovered that Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture between Darling Ingredients and Valero Energy in Port Arthur, Texas, has been producing “sustainable” aviation fuel (SAF) from beef tallow that can be traced back to cattle raised on illegally deforested Amazon land. The refinery markets this fuel to major airlines as climate-friendly, yet supply chains show connections to Brazilian slaughterhouses and rendering plants, including facilities in Pará state that have been flagged in deforestation audits.
Although the refinery’s output is certified under the UN’s CORSIA program and has received more than $3 billion in U.S. tax credits for biofuel production since 2022, experts caution that calling it “green” is misleading. Because tallow is treated as a by-product of the beef industry, regulators have allowed its use in jet fuel without accounting for its ties to deforestation. Critics argue that this practice risks driving further Amazon destruction, undermining both climate goals and the credibility of sustainable aviation fuel. More