Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 32

     
     1        Environmental, Civil Evidence Act.
     2        A.  OK.
     3
     4   Q.   If you can go to tab 47 there is a letter there from
     5        McDonald's, yes?
     6        A.  Yes.
     7
     8   Q.   July 26th, 1982?
     9        A.  Right.
    10
    11   Q.   To Mr. Graham Hooper.  In the second paragraph it says:
    12         "McDonald's has a long standing policy of buying all of
    13        our products from suppliers in the host country where we
    14        are doing business".  I thought you said that that policy
    15        came in the mid-80s, possibly 1986?
    16        A.  Well, I think they are talking the countries that were
    17        opened before that time, clearly.  I was talking for the
    18        countries that we are now dealing with, and I think it is
    19        still good.  I do not see anything wrong with that
    20        statement.
    21
    22   Q.   Yes, but this is around the time, roughly, of the Brazilian
    23        beef shipment, is it not?  So it does seem to be that the
    24        Brazilian beef shipment was a transgression of the policy?
    25        A.  No, I think when this person -- and I do not know who
    26        she is -- when she says "McDonald's has a long standing
    27        policy of buying all of our products from suppliers in the
    28        host country where we are doing business", she is talking
    29        about the finished products that are supplied to McDonald's
    30        restaurants through the distribution centres; she is not
    31        talking about raw ingredients.
    32
    33   Q.   It is an answer to obviously -- the first sentence is about
    34        McDonald's position, "to clarification about McDonald's
    35        position regarding the clearing of tropical rainforests".
    36        In answer to that, Elizabeth Densmore, Manager of Community
    37        and Consumer Issues says that you have a long-standing
    38        policy of buying their products from suppliers in the host
    39        country where you are doing business?
    40        A.  Yes.
    41
    42   Q.   So that would only be a relevant answer if she was talking
    43        about how it affects the sources of your beef, would it
    44        not, otherwise it would be a meaningless question?
    45        A.  She is definitely talking about finished products.
    46
    47   Q.   Maybe that is your interpretation.
    48        A.  Well, no, that is -----
    49
    50   Q.   Did you talk to her about this letter? 
    51        A.  I do not know the person.  That is still good today. 
    52        One of the questions I had earlier that I did not expand 
    53        upon because I was not asked to was about buying products
    54        locally.  Many ingredients are sourced globally but the
    55        local -- and they they go into products that are produced
    56        locally and then are supplied locally to the restaurants.
    57        So, that policy would tie in with the statement that we
    58        have here.
    59
    60   Q.   But on beef supplies you are saying that does not apply,