Economy

Big Green Agro: the private sector companies working to save the Amazon

Even though Jair Bolsonaro’s government plan is far from being transparent, one thing was clear from the outset: with Mr. Bolsonaro as president, we can expect the loosening of regulations concerning the protection of the Amazon rainforest. Among the most important backers of his candidacy is a significant part of the agribusiness sector, known in Brazil as the ruralistas.

These land and business owners’ objective is to further exploit the Amazon region, producing soybeans, growing cattle and mining minerals. Cattle ranching, for instance, requires large portions of land for the animals to graze. Farmers, therefore, clear vast areas to accommodate their cows and bulls. Approximately 12 percent of the Brazilian Amazon is occupied by cattle and soybean plantations. 

The Amazon Institute estimates that the rate of deforestation has grown 40 percent between August 2017...

Diogo Rodriguez

Diogo Rodriguez is a social scientist and journalist based in São Paulo. He worked in the first Brazilian Report team, back in 2017, leaving in 2018 to pursuit a master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. He has returned to The Brazilian Report in 2023.

Recent Posts

Pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers called out in U.S. Congress

U.S. Congresswoman Susan Wild, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, on Tuesday said that a House hearing…

5 hours ago

Brazil’s public accounts record slim Q1 surplus

The accounts of federal, state, and municipal governments, plus those of state-owned companies, recorded a…

7 hours ago

Rio Grande do Sul floods cast Brazilian football into uncertainty

The intense floods that chastise Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, have killed over…

8 hours ago

How to donate to Rio Grande do Sul flood victims from outside Brazil

Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, a state the size of Ecuador, has…

10 hours ago

Southern Brazil is in Groundhog Day climate

In September 2023, an extratropical cyclone hit Brazil’s South region, causing heavy rains and floods…

10 hours ago

ADNOC gives up on Braskem acquisition

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is no longer interested in buying Novonor's controlling…

1 day ago