Send message to Contributors

Contribution short abstract:

We will examine how Brazil's leading soy corporations have addressed climate change through 2019-2023 policies, focusing on ESG reports and public commitments. It highlights strategies to reduce GHG emissions and partnerships shaping agro-environmental governance, suggesting simplified targets.

Contribution long abstract:

With the emergence of international due diligence legislation and the Paris Agreement’s recognition of the private sector’s role in combating climate change, corporations face growing pressure to adopt sustainability guidelines. The soybean supply chain exemplifies these dynamics, particularly in Brazil, where socio-environmental violations are prevalent. This study examines how Brazil’s leading soybean corporations interpreted climate change through policies announced between 2019 and 2023, advancing the concept of corporate environmental governance arrangements (David; Camana, forthcoming).

Grounded in environmental humanities and Science and Technology Studies (STS), the analysis critiques the processes of producing environmental data (Davis et al., 2012; Goldstein; Nost, 2022). The empirical basis includes ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reports from 2019–2023 by six major traders—ADM, Amaggi, Bunge, Cargill, COFCO, and LDC—alongside public climate commitments, media publications, and data from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

This overview highlights: i) strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in operations and ii) partnerships that shape agro-environmental governance arrangements in the soybean supply chain. Preliminary findings suggest that corporate climate targets simplify environmental problems, favoring reductionist approaches. These policies reflect broader efforts to balance sustainability goals with operational priorities in a context of increasing global scrutiny.