(Dow Fellows Program 2017) 

Soy production has led to deforestation in multiple regions of Brazil, including the states of Mato Grosso and Pará. A combination of laws, such as the Forest Code (1965), and voluntary agreements, such as the Soy Moratorium (2006), have been implemented to slow the rate of deforestation due to soy production in the Amazon. Although the overall deforestation rate has declined in Brazil from 2004 to 2013, it has increased along the BR-163 highway, also known as the “Soy Corridor.” This research examines each stage in the agro-industrialization of 1 soy from harvest to transportation and, finally, to processing and export to determine which factors within this process have the greatest impact on deforestation and change in local community structure. This project sought to quantify the effects of soy production, including cultivation, transportation, and processing, on deforestation and ecosystem services in Mato Grosso and Pará, a key region for the cultivation and transport of soy. The team also investigated the public health and social development in communities that are involved in processing soy. Variables investigated include the annual deforestation rate and soy production in Mato Grosso, public health and social development measures in the Santarém municipality, and ecosystem services provided by tropical rainforest, among others.

Project Report