In 2024, over 11 million hectares of Brazilian land in the Amazon Forest burned from fast-moving, climate-driven forest fires[1]. South America and the rest of the world are increasingly feeling the effects of climate change and simultaneously stepping up to mitigate the climate crisis. Brazil has long been an advocate of protecting and maintaining the Amazon Forest as its ecosystem supplies nearly $8.2 billion to Brazil’s economy[2]. Deforestation has become a pertinent issue in recent years, especially as wildfires have become increasingly common and have further destroyed rainforest land. The right to a healthy environment and regular, adequate access to nutritional food are human rights that are principally affected by deforestation and environmental destruction. Deforestation and its effects on the climate are directly implicated in increasing food insecurity in the region. Brazil continues to lead South America in the fight against Amazonian deforestation, amidst a tug of war between climate activists and large corporations.

Brazil as an Environmental Leader in the Face of Challenges

Brazil’s president, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has cracked down on the protection of the Amazon, and as a result, deforestation is at its lowest since 2015. Within 12 months of his presidency, which began in early 2023, Lula implemented a range of measures that led to a 30% reduction in deforestation[3]. Doubling down on environmental protection laws, prioritizing legal recognition of Indigenous territories, and bolstering enforcement initiatives to protect the Amazon are all in line with his pledge to end deforestation by 2030. Lula’s commitment to protecting the Amazon Forest reflects a stark contrast from his predecessor’s attitudes towards conservation. Former president Jair Bolsonaro rapidly accelerated deforestation by cutting environmental protection agencies, weakening environmental regulations, and encouraging exporting natural resources for profit[4]. Lula’s return to power represents a return to environmental focus in policy that has long defined Brazil.

Brazil remains fierce in its protection of the Amazon and its natural resources even as multinational corporations push to weaken environmental regulations. Soy traders are pushing to revise an agreement from the 2000s that disallows harvesting soy from any farmland that is deforested after 2008[5]. This soy moratorium is comprised of trade companies, the Brazilian government, and environmental advocacy groups. The corporations are pushing to revise the agreement to allow them to plant soy in newly deforested areas to sell more soy. While Brazil is the world’s number one producer of soy, it also deals with the destruction of the environment for the sake of export and production profits. Many Brazilian legislators are pushing Congress to weaken this soy moratorium. Congress has often deviated from Lula’s environmentally conscious policies in favor of allowing for increased economic activity, such as exporting and exploiting the natural resources of the Amazon.

The Amazon Forest is a beacon of natural biodiversity and has been at the forefront of the climate crisis. Additionally, it acts as a carbon sink and regulates the global climate, so its destruction increases global vulnerability to rising carbon emissions[6]. Additionally, it supports the world’s most biodiverse ecosystem. Reducing deforestation and protecting the Amazon Forest will continue to be a pressing issue in the following year, with COP 2025 being held in Belém do Pará, a small city nestled in the Brazilian rainforest. As the effects of climate change become increasingly prevalent, many countries look to Brazil’s initiatives and regulations to shape their own environmental policies.

Deforestation and Food Insecurity

Beyond climate implications, deforestation directly contributes to rising levels of food insecurity. Latin America is experiencing what scholars call a ‘food paradox’, in which they are one of the largest exporters of food - in 2022, the Latin American Caribbean region exported 349 billion dollars of food[7] - while simultaneously 25% of their people lack regular access to food[8]. Global agricultural production companies and systems are a leading cause of food insecurity around the globe. They rely on market pressure and low prices but that drives the rapid destruction of forests for crop and food production without regard for the communities that rely on such resources to survive. Unequal distribution in the global food system, food waste, and disruptions in supply chains all lead to high levels of food insecurity in rural and impoverished regions in Latin America that are abundant in resources.

Conclusion

Brazil’s efforts highlight the vital role the Amazon plays in ensuring environmental prosperity but also equitable food systems. In a contentious battle for land rights and the survival of the Amazon Forest, Lula’s Brazil remains a beacon of protection and enforcement of respecting the natural biodiversity that defines the Amazon. As the world continues to look to Brazil for climate activism, safeguarding the Amazon and other ecosystems around the globe is imperative—not only biodiversity and climate regulation but ensuring food security and the human right to a prosperous environment.

Sara Swanson is a graduate from American University with a BA in International Studies, with a focus on Global Inequality and Development.

[1] MacCarthy, James, and Sarah Parsons. “6 Graphics Explain South America’s Forest Fires.” World Resources Institute, September 19, 2024. https://www.wri.org/insights/amazon-forest-fires-2024.

[2] “Why Protect the Amazon.” Amazon Conservation Association, May 18, 2023. https://www.amazonconservation.org/the-challenge/why-the-amazon/.

[3] “Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest Falls to Lowest since 2015 | Reuters.” Reuters, November 6, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/deforestation-brazils-amazon-rainforest-falls-lowest-since-2015-2024-11-06/.

[4] Jones, Benji. “Earth’s Future Depends on the Amazon. This Month, It’s up for a Vote.” Vox, September 29, 2022. https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/2022/9/29/23373427/amazon-rainforest-brazil-jair-bolsonaro-lula-deforestation.

[5] “Soy Traders Push to Weaken Ban on Buying from Deforested Amazon | Reuters.” Reuters, December 4, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/soy-traders-eye-changes-ban-buying-deforested-amazon-guardian-reports-2024-12-04/.

[6] “Why Protect the Amazon.” Amazon Conservation Association, May 18, 2023. https://www.amazonconservation.org/the-challenge/why-the-amazon/.

[7] Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. “The Value of Goods Exports from Latin America and the Caribbean Will.” Comunicado The Value of Goods Exports from Latin America and the Caribbean Will Grow by 4% in 2024: New Report by ECLAC | Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, April 29, 2024. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/value-goods-exports-latin-america-and-caribbean-will-grow-4-2024-new-report-eclac#:~:text=Latin America and the Caribbean is the world’s leading net,$349 billion dollars in 2022.

[8] John Otis | October 16, 2024. “Solving Latin America’s ‘Food Paradox.’” Americas Quarterly, October 16, 2024. https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/solving-latin-americas-food-paradox/.