Spillovers and SDG Implementation: The Case of Soy in Argentina

This policy brief examines the environmental and socio-economic 'spillovers' of the Argentina-EU soy supply chain, arguing that the externalization of consumption impacts to producer countries complicates the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights how European consumption drives significant environmental degradation and social shifts in Argentina, calling for internationally coordinated governance and shared responsibility to mitigate these negative effects.

• Soybean production is the most significant crop in Argentina, with the cropping area expanding from nearly zero in 1970 to 18 million hectares by 2018, representing over 50% of the country's agricultural land. The vast majority of this production (82%) is destined for foreign final consumption, primarily in Europe, China, and the USA, with Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands being the top European consumers.
• European consumption is responsible for approximately 26% of the environmental and socio-economic impacts of soybean cultivation in Argentina. These impacts include soil fertility loss, erosion, eutrophication, and pesticide use, as well as threats to nearly 100 vertebrate species on the IUCN Red List. In northwestern Argentina, soy expansion fuels deforestation at a rate of 300,000 hectares per year.
• Soy cultivation in Argentina generates approximately 35 million tons of CO2-equivalent, accounting for more than half of the country's total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions result from both the cultivation process and associated land use changes.
• The social impacts of the soy sector are mixed: while it has created formal jobs with social security for 33% of workers, it has displaced informal labor, particularly affecting women, the elderly, and lower-qualified workers. Additionally, the expansion of soy has negatively impacted the land rights of indigenous peoples and villagers.
• Economically, soy exports provide essential public revenues and foreign currency for Argentina, though this reliance increases vulnerability to climate shocks and global market volatility. The document notes a disparity in SDG achievement, with Argentina ranking 45th out of 162 countries, whereas many European countries rank higher, partly because current SDG monitoring does not account for asymmetric spillovers.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2019). Spillovers and SDG Implementation: The Case of Soy in Argentina. https://www.sei.org/publications/spillovers-sdg-implementation-soy-argentina/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Spillovers and SDG Implementation: The Case of Soy in Argentina. 2019. https://www.sei.org/publications/spillovers-sdg-implementation-soy-argentina/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Spillovers and SDG Implementation: The Case of Soy in Argentina |date=21 November 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/spillovers-sdg-implementation-soy-argentina/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2019spillovers, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Spillovers and SDG Implementation: The Case of Soy in Argentina}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/spillovers-sdg-implementation-soy-argentina/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }