Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Brazil

The report examines how sustainable development issues are increasingly integrated into Brazil's trade and investment agendas despite official government resistance to linking these issues in multilateral negotiations. It highlights the role of agro-industrial sectors, international investment, and domestic political evolution in driving this shift, while noting the pressure from developed countries' unilateral standards.

• Brazil's government has historically opposed linking labor, social, and environmental issues to trade and investment agendas, but international pressures and the proliferation of unilateral measures from developed countries are forcing Brazilian companies and the government to adapt to social and environmental standards.
• The agro-industrial sector is a primary target for international initiatives seeking to define production standards, largely because the deforestation of the Amazon accounts for approximately two-thirds of Brazil's carbon emissions.
• While trade was the primary channel for sustainable issues in the 1990s, the current decade sees these links occurring through international investments by transnational companies and investment financing. Brazilian foreign direct investment in South American countries and Africa often results in social and environmental impacts due to a focus on natural resource sectors and contact with indigenous communities.
• Sustainable development has gained domestic political and institutional density in Brazil, evolving from being perceived as 'subjects of the North' to being adopted by domestic economic interests and social groups into public policies and private initiatives.
• Because developing countries have resisted discussing sustainable development in multilateral negotiations, these issues have shifted to regional and bilateral agreements. Consequently, some Brazilian sectors may now prefer these issues be handled by the WTO to ensure clear rules and participation.

APA

Rios,, P. D. M. V. P. (2009). Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Brazil. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-0

Chicago

Rios,, Pedro da Motta Veiga,Sandra P. Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Brazil. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-0.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rios, |first1=Pedro da Motta Veiga,Sandra P. |title=Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Brazil |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=23 April 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-0 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rios2009trade, author = {Rios,, Pedro da Motta Veiga,Sandra P.}, title = {{Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Brazil}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-0}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }