China's shifting meat consumption could ease soy-driven Amazon deforestation
Falling pork and animal-protein consumption in China could trim Brazilian soybean demand and ease deforestation pressure on the Amazon, a new Trase report finds, potentially sparing 1.1 million hectares by 2030.
A joint study by the Trase initiative and Boston University finds per-capita pork consumption in China is down 14% from its 2020 peak. Plant-forward diets and an ageing population are softening demand for soy used as animal feed.
Brazil supplies 60% of the world's soybean exports, much of it grown in the Cerrado and southern Amazon basin, with China the dominant buyer. If the demand trend persists, as much as 1.1 million hectares could escape conversion to cropland by 2030.
Environment Minister Marina Silva called the findings 'encouraging' but stressed they 'must not become an excuse to scale back enforcement or satellite monitoring.' Trading houses Bunge, ADM and Cargill have so far declined to comment.
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