Dairy & Meat Industry / Films / Movies / Films & Videos / Films About Diet and Food

Takeout, The Documentary About the Amazon Fires

by Jennie Richards · Published April 28, 2021 · Updated April 29, 2021

“Between 4,000-6,000 species are going extinct in the Amazon every single year due to deforestation alone—deforestation for cattle farming and meat. When you cut the forest down there is nowhere for the wild animals to go.”

The eye-opening investigative documentary Takeout sounds the alarm for all humanity about the dangerous deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and the direct connection to the meat and animal agriculture industry. Filmmaker Michael Siewierski embarks on an imperative mission and remarkable journey to expose the real reasons behind the Amazon forest fires and the alarming rate of deforestation happening today in Brazil.

The film exposes how the burning of the Amazon is driven by the forces behind animal agriculture – the cattle ranchers, farmers, the conservative political group Ruralista Congressional Bloc, Brazilian President Bolsonaro, the meat and animal agribusiness companies themselves, and ultimately the consumers buying meat. All are responsible for causing an unprecedented rate of destruction to the Amazon at an accelerated pace. The film graphically reveals how not only is the Amazon rainforest burning down, but as a consequence, tens of thousands of wild animal species are going extinct, indigenous Indian tribes are being displaced and killed, millions of pounds of carbon are being released into the atmosphere worsening global warming, air pollution and water pollution are wreaking havoc on human health, pesticides and herbicides are killing natural systems, unique natural plant medicines are being decimated and are forever lost, and the entire world’s future generations are at risk—all for a burger, or a steak, that just cannot be justified for the enormous cost to our planet, species, wildlife, animals, nature, and our human civilization. An unfathomable amount of destruction for a piece of meat. As a result, war is being waged on the Amazon rainforest, and our food choices are the clear culprit.

Takeout is a feature-length documentary focused on exposing the tragedy of the Amazon forest fires and its connection to the global animal food production systems as well as to our individual food choices. The film also exposes the corruption in Brazil’s government and shows how industry shapes the politics related to agribusiness both in South America and in the U.S. The film discloses major political corruption, corporate greed and crimes against people and nature. Takeout tackles the facts and actual stories that traditional media outlets are too afraid to cover.

Film Length: 1 Hour, 14 Minutes

Film Released: 2020

Watch the Film

Watch on Apple TV

Watch on Amazon Prime Video

Download the Free Film Companion Booklet PDF

Visit the website Takeout Documentary

Ruralista Congressional Blocs

The Ruralista Congressional Bloc in the National Congress of Brazil, is a large group of political conservatives that represent the interests of agribusiness and large landholders, and as a result, is threatening to destroy people, indigenous Indian tribes, local communities, journalists and reporters, nonprofits, and anything that is a threat to agribusiness or stands in their way. This Bloc creates laws that only benefit them and their interests. The Bloc uses chaos, fear, and terror as a cover to push legislation to reverse long-standing environmental protections for the rainforest. The Bloc is working to destroy and eliminate existing and long-standing environmental laws, indigenous protections, ecological protections, and promote the interests of meat and the cattle industry.

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s President

Elected in November 2018, Bolsonaro has pledged to dismantle the country’s environmental regulations and protections for the Amazon rainforest. He is a conservative, right-wing authoritarian nationalist who supports the widespread development of the Amazon for cattle ranching, the promotion of the meat industry and soy crops grown for the animal agriculture industry. He represents the conservative far right-wing, and is known for his nationalist, authoritarian, racist, misogynist, anti-environmentalist, anti-climate change, and anti-press viewpoints and politics. Bolsonaro has deep political support from the military and agri-business sectors, and has supported and promoted the worst Amazon rainforest destruction over his first two years in office as Amazon deforestation has surged to a 12-year high, and the death rate of environmental activists and indigenous Indians has surged to an all-time high as well.

Cattle Laundering

Cattle born on illegal, deforested agribusiness land in the Amazon, are then moved and fattened on a “Sustainable Farm,” where they are branded, fattened, and sent to a certified slaughterhouse, and are sold as “sustainable eco-friendly meat,” that is anything but sustainable or eco-friendly. It is how Brazilian ranchers get “around the system” and manipulate marketing.

What You Can Do

Reduce the amount of meat you consume. Or choose to consume no meat and dairy at all and transition to a plant-based, vegan diet.
Be careful who you elect – The public officials and politicians we elect in the U.S., Europe and worldwide influence and impact political and environmental actions in Brazil. These politicians outside of Brazil help to create the environmental policies that either support agribusiness, or not. When we elect corrupt politicians and destructive people, we support the destruction of our planet, wildlife, animals, our environment, and even humanity.
Stop supporting the companies that are destroying the Amazon – Stop buying products from the companies that are destroying our planet. Stop consuming the products they produce, like beef and meat. The small handful of companies driving Amazon deforestation and burning the rainforest include: Cargill, Tyson, JBS, BUNGE, ADM, Wilmar, along with the leading agribusinesses that produce meat. Message these companies on social media. Talk to the manager of grocery and supermarket chains. Write to the brand directly. And share your views on social media. Each of us must hold these companies responsible and accountable.
Stop supporting the retailers of products that come from these destructive Amazon companies – Including: McDonalds, Burger King, Whole Foods, Target, Wendy’s, COSTCO, Walmart, Giant, Stop&Shop, ASDA Makro, and Carrefour, and all of the fast-food chains and the grocery corporations. And as the consumer, don’t buy meat, dairy or animal products – you are the reason for their production of products.

Takeout, the Documentary About the Amazon Fires

Statistics

Just in the past month, 1,345 square kilometers of the Brazilian Amazon were destroyed in one month. This is equivalent to the size of Los Angeles. In just one month—for the meat industry.
In 2019, the Amazon experienced a devastating and unprecedented fire season, with over 40,000 reported fires and 3,500 square miles of forest lost to these fires.
The Brazilian rainforest contains 10 percent of the planet’s total biodiversity. Over 20 percent of the forest has now already been lost, growing worse every day.
Animal agriculture is a hugely powerful industry—and a hugely destructive industry—not just to the individual animals themselves, but to the environment, to the activists who are killed by the animal agribusinesses, and to the planet.
Research shows that 98 percent of all fires in our environment are caused by humans or man.
Meat and animal agriculture is responsible for more climate pollution than all the cars, ships, airplanes, trains, and trucks combined. Somewhere around 15 percent of the total carbon climate pollution is caused by meat and animals that are sold for meat and dairy consumption.
In 2018, 135 indigenous Indians were killed in the Amazon, and there are over 1,000 registered cases of violence, rape, death threats, and abuse. Indigenous people are being kicked off their own land for ranchers to raise cattle.
4,000-6,000 species are going extinct in the Amazon every single year due to deforestation alone—deforestation caused by cattle ranching and meat consumption.
Between 2008 and 2018, there was a 20 percent increase in the numbers of cattle in the Amazon region, which is four times the national average. 40 percent of the total of all cattle and bulls in Brazil—is now in the Amazon.

Quotes from the Film

“The Amazon jungle, the largest tropical rainforest in the world, is burning.”

“This moment in history belongs to the idiots. Meat production is just one part of the problem.”

“The current Brazilian government, led by President Bolsonaro, is inciting and promoting environmental destruction. Instead of protecting the environment, Bolsonaro, a radical right-wing conservative, is trying to destroy the environment—all for cattle ranchers and animal ag businesses. Bolsonaro is trying to facilitate deforestation, supported by the meat and animal ag industry and meat consumption.”

“Thousands of slaves are being forced to work on Brazil’s cattle farms.”

“Cattle ranchers are known to be notorious criminals and guilty of committing notorious crimes against people and the environment in Brazil.”

“When we destroy the rainforest, we are destroying ourselves.”

“Brazil has become the deadliest country for environmental activists.”

“The only pyromaniac that exists on this planet is man.”

“We can reduce our overall emissions by eating significantly less meat, or no meat altogether.”

“I think most people don’t connect losing the Amazon rainforest with eating meat, but there is a direct correlation.”

“Most scientists believe that deforestation of the Amazon plays an important role in causing global warming.”

“It is recognized that the production of meat plays a key role in deforestation and climate change. But in recent years, consumption has also been linked to numerous chronic diseases.”

“That meat that is eaten in Los Angeles or anywhere, could be the result of cutting down the Amazon rainforest.”

“President Bolsonaro is threatening to eliminate the protections for the native Indians, so he can bring in cattle and soy for cattle feed.”

“We put animals in prison, with barbwire and electric fencing around their prison. Then we take them to the death market. And put them on our plates. In exchange, we get hell and flames, fire and destruction.”

“People want to look the other way, so they can eat their meat, but they are part of the problem and the destruction of the Amazon forests.”

“People have no idea that there is a connection between animal agriculture and deforestation. It’s all wrapped up in that burger you eat.”

“What’s the difference between a dog and a cow? Really?”

“People are not making the connection between the product, the meat or dairy they buy, and the lives of animals that are cruelly raised and destroyed.”

“Soy, a crop grown primarily for animal feed, for the American and European market that is turned into feed for livestock – comes directly from the Amazon rainforest.”

“Modern farmers in the Amazon are burning the jungle to grow animal feed. Once the forest is burned down you can get maybe one crop or two for two years, but then the soil will dry out and be unusable forever.”

“Once you cut down the Amazon forest, it will never be able to grow back the way it was, it will only become at best non-native vegetation.”

“When you cut down and burn the Amazon forests, you are releasing all the carbon from those trees, and causing major carbon emissions, causing global warming.”

“When we flew over the Amazon rainforest, all you could see are fires everywhere in the darkness. I thought they were city lights, but realized that they were forest fires.”

“This burning of the forest is stupidity. Just stupidity. We are not living in the time of the Aztecs or Mayan Indians.”

“Illegal land grabbing and agribusiness is threatening indigenous Indian tribes.”

“Without the trees, it gets very hot for us (Indian tribe). In Brazil, there are few native people left.”

“If there is no water, the rivers dry out, people will not be able to exist.”

“In 2019, under President Bolsonaro, the Brazilian government cut the science and research funding in half, halting numerous research projects in the Amazon Region.”

“The less meat we eat, the healthier we will be.”

“Not only is meat consumption directly linked to heart disease and stroke, but it is also directly linked to cancer – primarily colorectal cancer, a huge killer in the U.S.”

“There’s a link between meat and Alzheimer’s disease. The saturated fat predominant in meat can triple your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

“Meat is unsustainable and extremely polluting – all the water, all the water polluting from the slaughterhouses, the pesticide and herbicide spraying on the all of the grains grown for animals, it’s a huge cost to everyone and the land.”

“Meat and dairy—agribusiness–is heavily subsidized by the government. Our tax dollars subsidize an industry that is destroying our health and the health of our planet. This is the huge cost of meat production.”

“Deforestation increases deadly diseases worldwide, including malaria, Zika, AIDS, Dengue Fever, SARS, Ebola – because deforestation moves animals to more populated centers.”

“The Amazon is still burning, we just don’t hear the smoke detectors anymore.”