Soybeans in Brazil put the Amazon at risk

Sao Paulo. For almost 20 years, Brazil’s largest soybean producers assured buyers that their crop, the largest in the world, was not grown on deforested lands in the Amazon. This commitment, known as the soy moratorium, has been widely credited with helping to slow rainforest loss.

However, that situation changed this week, when major grain traders announced they would withdraw from the agreement, threatening not only their survival but also President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s promise to end deforestation by 2030.

On Monday, the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries, which represents some of the largest traders of that legume in the world, said it would no longer participate.

Environmentalists and government officials said the withdrawal essentially ended the deal, although no participant (Cargill, Cofco International, Bunge, Amaggi and JBS) has formally declared it over.

Brazil is the world’s largest soybean producer, generating around 40 percent of global crops. The country produced 171.5 million tons in the 2024-2025 season, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.