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The report finds that by mid-century, between USD 300 million and almost USD 1 billion in annual soy trade bound for Europe could be exposed to disruption due to critically low river levels at the ports of Manaus and Santarém. This risk is driven by a combination of climate change and Amazon deforestation, which reduces rainfall and moisture cycling. The analysis highlights that major commodity traders like Cargill, Amaggi, and Bunge face significant financial exposure, and that EU importers are particularly vulnerable given their reliance on Brazilian soy for livestock feed. The document argues that protecting the Amazon forest is essential for maintaining the physical river infrastructure that compliant, deforestation-free supply chains depend on.

The document examines the synergy between agroextractive settlements (PAEs) and community fishing agreements in the Lower Amazon, specifically focusing on PAE Lago Grande and APes Curuai. It highlights how these hybrid governance structures support biodiversity and traditional livelihoods but are threatened by land tenure insecurity, illegal mining, and insufficient state monitoring. The report argues that recognizing such areas as Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM/OMEC) could strengthen territorial defense and inclusive conservation.

ClientEarth has filed a legal complaint with the US National Contact Point alleging that Cargill's due diligence processes in Brazil are insufficient to prevent deforestation and human rights abuses. The complaint highlights failures in monitoring soy sourced from the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, as well as issues with indirect land use change and the displacement of Indigenous Peoples. While Cargill has committed to being deforestation-free in the Amazon and Cerrado by 2025, ClientEarth argues these policies lack necessary commitments to be 'conversion free' and fail to address the systemic risks associated with its vast operations in Brazil.

ClientEarth has filed a complaint with the OECD against Cargill, arguing that the company's due diligence fails to address deforestation and human rights abuses in Brazil. The document details specific allegations regarding the Cerrado, Amazon, and Atlantic Forest biomes, and calls for the full disclosure and implementation of effective environmental and human rights policies.

ClientEarth has filed a complaint with the US National Contact Point (NCP) of the OECD against Cargill, arguing that the company's due diligence processes violate OECD Guidelines. The complaint focuses on Cargill's soy supply chain in Brazil, specifically alleging failures to monitor deforestation in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, a lack of traceability for indirectly sourced soy, and a failure to address indirect land-use change. Additionally, the complaint highlights risks of human rights violations against Indigenous peoples and quilombolas. ClientEarth is seeking the full disclosure of Cargill's due diligence policies and the implementation of more effective procedures aligned with OECD-FAO and UN guidance.

ClientEarth has filed a complaint with the US National Contact Point for the OECD, alleging that Cargill fails to conduct adequate due diligence to prevent deforestation and human rights abuses in its Brazilian soy supply chains. The complaint highlights specific failures regarding the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, indirectly sourced soy, non-owned soy handled at Cargill ports, and indirect land use change. ClientEarth seeks full disclosure of Cargill's policies and the adoption of effective due diligence measures aligned with OECD-FAO and UN guidance.

An investigation by Mighty Earth, Repórter Brasil, and Ecostorm found that Tesco's UK meat products are linked to illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The report traces soy from the Santa Ana farm in Mato Grosso, which used illegal fires to clear 400 hectares of forest in 2022, through Cargill's logistics network to UK suppliers Avara and Pilgrim's UK. The authors argue that Cargill's monitoring systems are flawed, allowing 'grain laundering' where illegal soy is mixed with legal crops. Despite public pledges to be deforestation-free by 2025, Tesco continues to source heavily from Cargill, which has a 2030 target. The report also criticizes proposed UK due diligence legislation for failing to cover 'legal' deforestation, potentially making the UK a leakage market for soy that does not meet EU standards.

The report highlights a critical gap in the state of Pará, Brazil, where infrastructure planning prioritizes large-scale projects like roads and railroads over essential local services. Using high-resolution data, the authors demonstrate that access to sanitation, healthcare, education, and digital connectivity is extremely low and unequally distributed, with residents in the areas of influence of large projects often facing worse conditions than the state average. The report suggests using compensation payments from large-scale projects to fund these essential local infrastructure gaps.

The report highlights a critical deficit in basic infrastructure—including sanitation, health, education, and connectivity—across the state of Pará. It finds that residents in the influence areas of planned large-scale logistics projects suffer from even worse access to these services than the state average. The authors argue that the historical focus on commodity-export logistics has neglected local needs and suggest using compensations from large projects to fund essential local infrastructure.

The document analyzes the 2019 Amazon fires as a result of corporate power and the expansion of the agricultural frontier, specifically linked to the interests of transnational corporations (TNCs). It contends that the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement will exacerbate this trend by increasing demand for commodities like soy and beef, leading to further deforestation and human rights violations. The report criticizes the Bolsonaro administration for dismantling environmental protections and argues that the agreement's environmental clauses are non-binding and insufficient to prevent climate catastrophe.

The document argues that a general trend in Brazilian transport regulation seeks to reduce the economic profits of private concessionaires, which is being offset by hidden subsidies from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). This shift is claimed to erode incentives for private operators to select the most efficient projects and maintain high quality, thereby increasing costs for the agricultural sector. While highways and railways are seen as suffering from increasing regulatory complexity and unbundling, the port sector is highlighted as a relative success due to the deregulation of private usage terminals (TUPs), although the authors suggest further deregulation of public ports is needed.

The document identifies how shifting regulatory frameworks since the late 1990s have created market insecurity and discouraged private investment in Brazilian transport infrastructure. It highlights that current regulations often prevent long-term profits for concessionaires, leading to a reliance on public subsidies and a decline in service quality. Specifically, it notes that transporting soy in Brazil is nearly three times more expensive than in the US. The brief recommends realigning auction incentives for highways, returning to vertical integration for railways, and deregulating public ports to foster competition and efficiency.

This fact sheet highlights the high cost of transporting grain in Brazil compared to the United States, citing the BR-163 highway and the Porto de Santos as key examples of infrastructure and cost inefficiencies. It advocates for regulatory reforms in public ports and the replacement of implicit subsidies with more attractive long-term private investment frameworks to improve transport quality and reduce costs.

The document analyzes the socio-economic complexity of agricultural-forest frontiers, specifically in the Brazilian Amazon, where a diverse mix of actors—from subsistence smallholders to large-scale commercial farms—compete for resources. It argues that 'one-size-fits-all' policies are ineffective and recommends tailored interventions that account for the different capacities and responsibilities of these actors. The brief highlights both the risks of actor diversity, such as land displacement and increased inequality driven by soy expansion, and the opportunities for collective action, citing the success of the zero-deforestation pact in Paragominas.

The document highlights how inadequate road infrastructure and complex regulations in Brazil increase transportation costs and reduce investor interest. It specifically notes that improving road infrastructure could reduce transportation costs by 54% and compares the efficiency of Santarém Port against Santos Port for grain exports.

The Soares family in Juruti, Brazil, is transitioning from traditional slash-and-burn agriculture to an agroforestry system to diversify income and restore the landscape. Originally focused on cassava production, the family is now integrating native tree species and fruit trees to increase food security and climate resilience. This transition is part of a pilot project involving 22 farmers, designed to provide a sustainable economic alternative to deforestation in the Amazon region.