Brazil's soy industry gives deforestation a green light

"A moratorium that has protected vital rainforest since 2009 is on shaky ground as several players from Brazil's soy industry say they are pulling out. Specifically, the Brazilian industry association ABIOVE, whose members include global companies such as Cofco International, Bunge, Amaggi and JBS, have said they will no longer refrain from growing soy on deforested land. Environmentalists fear this could fuel a new wave of Amazon logging."

"A preliminary study by the Brazilian Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) indicates that ending the moratorium could increase deforestation in the Amazon by up to 30% by 2045. ABIOVE and the member companies approached by DW did not respond to a request for comment. Monitoring has proved effective Experts have long considered the agreement an effective shield against deforestation in the Amazon, which is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth."

"Under the voluntary moratorium, which was introduced in 2006 as a result of pressure from environmental groups and international buyers, major soy traders agreed to ban the purchase of soy grown on land cleared in the Amazon. According to IPAM, deforestation rates in monitored areas fell by around 70% as a result. Overall, however, forest clearing for soy cultivation has increased significantly. Since 2008, soy-growing areas in the Brazilian Amazon have more than tripled by 7.28 million hectares. The moratorium could not stop this trend."

A moratorium introduced in 2006 and protecting rainforest since 2009 limited soy-driven clearing by banning soy from newly cleared Amazon land. Brazil's industry association ABIOVE, whose members include Cofco International, Bunge, Amaggi and JBS, has said members will no longer refrain from growing soy on deforested land. A preliminary IPAM study indicates ending the moratorium could increase Amazon deforestation by up to 30% by 2045. Monitored areas saw deforestation fall about 70% under the moratorium, yet overall soy-growing area in the Brazilian Amazon has more than tripled since 2008, adding 7.28 million hectares.

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