More than 70 civil society organizations, including Greenpeace Brazil, have signed a manifesto defending Brazil’s long-standing Amazon Soy Moratorium.
Environmental advocates argue that dismantling the moratorium would not only undermine decades of conservation progress but also exacerbate deforestation in critical biomes across South America.
This 2006 agreement—revised in 2008—commits major traders like Cargill, Bunge, and ADM to avoiding soy purchases from areas deforested after the cut-off date.
Recent legislative developments in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies and state assemblies are threatening the moratorium.
Bills have been proposed to penalize producers adhering to the agreement, with laws already enacted in the states of Mato Grosso and Rondônia. Similar measures are under consideration in other states, along with a proposed bill in the National Congress, according to a Greenpeace Brazil blog post.
The manifesto signatories warn that these efforts pose a grave risk to Brazil’s climate goals and biodiversity. They criticize a push by what they describe as the most regressive elements of Brazilian agribusiness to undermine the moratorium. The argument is that producers who exceed Brazil’s Forest Code requirements for environmental protection should lose tax incentives. This, in practice, rewards deforestation.
“This is the largest attack on the moratorium in its 18-year history,” the blog post declares.
The expansion of soy plantations has already devastated biomes not protected by such agreements, such as the Brazilian Cerrado and the South American Gran Chaco. These regions face accelerated deforestation, a trend demonstrating the importance of the moratorium’s role in preserving the Amazon.
Mato Grosso law deemed setback
In November 2024, Mato Grosso - Brazil’s leading soy-producing state - approved a law that would cut tax benefits for companies participating in agreements limiting agricultural expansion into areas eligible for legal deforestation. In response, Nathalie Lecoq, director general of FEDIOL, and Anton van den Brink, deputy secretary general of FEFAC, expressed deep concern. Speaking to FeedNavigator then, they emphasized the moratorium’s effectiveness in reducing deforestation within the Amazon biome.
The Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove) also denounced the Mato Grosso law, describing it as a setback. Abiove argued that sustainability-focused companies should receive greater incentives rather than face penalties.
Judicial review
However, according to Reuters, the law remains under judicial review, delaying its planned January 1 implementation.
The Supreme Court of Brazil has temporarily blocked the Mato Grosso legislation from taking effect, pending a final ruling scheduled for February 14–21, 2025.
Research illustrates the moratorium’s importance. A 2020 study published in Nature Food highlighted the agreement’s significant role in curbing deforestation within the Amazon region.
