Brazil's powerful agricultural lobby and a group of politicians are pushing to repeal the "Amazon Soy Moratorium," which has been in place since 2006 and prohibits the sale of soy grown on land cleared after 2006. The agreement was considered one of the world's most successful measures to reduce deforestation in the Amazon dramatically.
If the ban is lifted, environmentalists warn that a new wave of deforestation could begin, with land the size of Portugal potentially being converted to soy fields. Scientists say the Amazon is already close to a "tipping point": the forest is losing its ability to regenerate, with little rainfall and a "dead end" in place, with more trees dying.
The case has been referred to Brazil's Supreme Court. The country's government is itself divided. The Ministry of Justice suspects anti-competitive practices, while the Ministry of the Environment and the Prosecutor's Office defend the moratorium.
