July 18, 2023

Study reveals Brazil's soybean farming linked to deforestation

A recent study published in Scientific Reports highlights the link between soybean farming and deforestation in Brazil, revealing that despite efforts to limit environmental impacts, the two remain closely connected, Michigan State University reported.

The study found that municipalities in Brazil highly committed to selling their soybean production to domestic markets showed a stronger association with deforestation compared to those that exported more of their production internationally.

Notably, these domestic market-focused municipalities are located in the Amazon biome, experiencing higher expansion of cattle activity, indicating a stronger connection between soybean farming, pasture, and deforestation in agricultural frontiers.

The implications of these findings are critical, as sustainability efforts in supply chains have traditionally focused on soybean international flows and tropical deforestation.

Brazil's Soy Moratorium, an agreement signed by major agro-business traders, aimed to stop purchasing soybeans grown on lands deforested after July 2006 in tropical forests. But it was found that soybeans destined for international markets account for over 60% of Brazilian production.

Cases where soybean production is considered "not exported" may still enter international markets through a process known as soybean "washing," in which producers and trading companies remove soybeans from deforested areas in the Amazon before delivering them to international markets.

The study suggests that supply chain agreements should broaden their scope and understanding of agricultural frontiers in tropical regions. Instead of focusing solely on a single commodity, sustainability agreements should encompass entire production systems.

The research, titled "Complex relationships between soybean trade destination," was conducted by Ramon Bicudo, Emilio Moran, James Millington, Andrés Vina, and Jianguo "Jack" Liu, all affiliated with MSU's Centre for Systems Integration and Sustainability, with Liu serving as the director. The work received support from the National Science Foundation and Brazil's Sao Paulo Research Foundation.

-      Michigan State University