Nick Jonsson’s Post

With Brazil’s politicians, agribusiness organisations and global traders piling on the pressure, the highly successful 2006 Soy Moratorium is under threat WWF said any move to end or weaken the soy moratorium could open up 1.1m hectares of forest for soy production and push the Amazon closer to a calamitous tipping point and emitting 300m tonnes of CO2 from deforestation. “This is not just an environmental issue but a critical economic and reputational risk for the entire Brazilian soy industry,” WWF noted in an email statement. “In addition, this could lead to an increase in land speculation, land grabbing and potential conflict in the region.” #deforestation #brazil #amazonbasin #tippingpoints #soya #soymoratorium #landuse #landgrabs #landgrabbing

‘This is a pivot point in the Brazilian cattle sector’ was the conclusion of Paula Caballero of The Nature Conservancy as she wrapped up a great event organised by IDH, Tropical Forest Alliance and The Nature Conservancy at #NYCClimateWeek today on ending #deforestation and transforming the Brazilian Cattle sector. Paula was reflecting on the growing collaboration between farmers, companies and state and federal agencies in cattle traceability and pasture restoration in #MatoGrosso and #Para. As an adviser to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture stated ‘ we don’t need deforestation (to expand agricultural production) because we have enough degraded pasture’ and they aim to restore 40m hectares of former cattle land for row crops and agroforestry. The Governor of Para state, Helder Barbalho  spoke about his governments requirement that all cattle moved in the state will be fully traced from birth by December 2025, which also happens to be when his state capital, Belem will host the monumentally important #COP30. As Brazil reels from unprecedented fires, and smoke affects 60% of its territory, Daan Wensing called for COP30 to be the ‘Paris agreement' for #agriculture and to drive action for reducing the sectors huge contribution to emissions, and to help make farmers more resilient to climate disruption. Today the Para government signed a deal to sell 12 million tonnes of carbon to the #LEAFCoalition, the first #Amazon state to qualify. Per F I Pharo, representing Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and a key figure in the forest world for many years, said that we would ‘ look back at this moment as when markets and environmental services took off’. Big thanks to Julia Mangueira, José Otavio Passos and Manuela Maluf Santos for making the event happen

We're excited to see our portfolio company, Atlantic Sea Farms, featured in The Wall Street Journal! CEO Briana Warner discusses the growing seaweed industry in the U.S. and its potential to transform coastal economies and ecosystems. As pioneers in domestic seaweed aquaculture, Atlantic Sea Farms is not only producing a nutritious, sustainable crop, but also creating new opportunities for fishermen affected by climate change. Some key highlights from the article: - The U.S. currently produces just 0.01% of the world's seaweed, with most imported from Asia - Expanding seaweed farming in the U.S. could provide economic benefits and support local fishing communities - Seaweed cultivation offers environmental advantages, including reducing ocean acidification and absorbing excess nutrients We're proud to support Atlantic Sea Farms in their mission to create a more sustainable and resilient food system while supporting coastal communities. This coverage in the WSJ underscores the growing recognition of #seaweed's potential in addressing both economic and environmental challenges. Read the full article here: https://on.wsj.com/4f7yrQj

Yet again we are confronted with the mealy-mouthed prevarications, misinformation, and misrepresentations of industry and government. That Australia's old growth forests are diminishing cannot be disputed. The data is out there. That it is being replaced by immature regrowth of limited ecological value, also cannot be disputed. That regrowth CANNOT replace mature age in form and function is also indisputable. The loss of biodiversity is correlated to the loss of mature old-growth forest - another fact that cannot be disputed. Yet we have an industry and government attempting to conflate and create false-equivalences to make FALSE claims. No matter how often these tiresome BS factories repeat their mantra, it will not change the reality of what is happening. Own the bloody problem and try and do something positive about it, rather than trying to avoid it through what are fundamentally just lies. #agriculture #beefproduction #deforestation #biodiversityloss #biodiversity https://lnkd.in/gDMU2DYS

“We need farmers every day, three times a day.” That’s what William told me as we toured his coffee farm. Yesterday was International Coffee Day, a reminder of the central role farmers play—not only in producing our coffee but also in regenerating our landscapes through initiatives like agroforestry. 🌳William has planted 1,000 trees (his favorite being the guaba, which attracts birds) to protect his coffee plants from strong winds and extreme temperatures. The impact is already noticeable when you walk through his farm—you can feel the difference. Even though Climate Week has ended, the journey towards sustainable food systems is far from over. With global demand for food expected to increase by 60% (World Economic Forum) in the coming years, it’s essential that we address the challenges farmers face and promote resilient, sustainable farming solutions. But let’s not forget, everything comes at a cost... (PS: Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at our agroforestry projects in Costa Rica. Learn more about PUR here: https://lnkd.in/eEBPz-aW) #ClimateWeek #InternationalCoffeeDay #Coffee #Farmers #Agroforestry

Deforestation caused by agricultural expansion is widely agreed to be a primary driver of climate change. Traders, manufacturers and sellers have a responsibility, and in some cases a legal obligation, to ensure their supply chains are deforestation and conversion free. Our new free tool, SojaCheck, is available for assessing the risk of deforestation and conversion of native vegetation at the farm level for soy production areas in the Brazilian Cerrado region. The tool can be used by anyone with a farm CAR Number and includes data on over 92,000 farms, an area of over 61 million ha. https://soja.bvrio.org/ #conservation #sustainableagriculture #supplychain #commodities #soja #soy #foodproduction #foodmanufacturing #grocery #foodprocessing #climatechange

🌳🦋🐸🌍A milestone in the fight against deforestation: the 2024 Goldman prize goes to Marcel Gomes of Réporter Brazil, who tracked the meat industy and deforestation in the Amazon Brazil, from farm to table, including European tables😒. 65% of deforestation in Brazil is caused by cattle ranching. #stopdeforestation #sustainablesupplychains https://lnkd.in/d7WPVXMA

Finished reading Roads of destruction and illegal ghost roads which I thought was a bit of silly conservation science. Then read "Future of the Most Versatile Food Oil May Lie in Latin America" by Anuradha Raghu, Bloomberg reporter who quoted Yu Leng Khor from Segi Enam Advisors Pte Ltd. "Farmers in Latin America “have learned from mistakes made by Indonesia and Malaysia when it comes to deforestation” The most interesting opinion related to ghost roads and mistakes in deforestation for industries and development, is from Ricardo Gustav Neuding Senior consultant at ATA Ativos Ambientais, who wrote "The Amazon Rainforest Can Only Be Saved by Harnessing Its Wealth for Local Communities. Conversely, the rainforest conservation model recognizes that the Amazon’s survival depends on local people, entities and governments viewing the forest as a vital, long-term source of socio-economic development. Reconciling environmental and socioeconomic imperatives, conservation allows for limited and responsible logging and other sustainable forestry activity."

Euractiv drawing attention to impact of EUDR for smallholders. In the European Union. What is often forgotten is that EUDR also includes beef and soy produced in the EU (as well as wood and leather). The same is true for small farmers in countries like Serbia. But describing it as if farmers need to have due diligence systems. It is not the farmers but the companies that bring the products on the market that are responsible (which in some cases can be the farmers). And with a board member of the World Farmers' Organisation expressing doubts about effect vs costs of EUDR: is would ‘only’ reduce global deforestation by 1.5%! Come on! The impact of deforestation on climate and biodiversity is so immense that 1.5% would be an incredible result!

🌳 Today marks the International Day of Forests 🌳 Planet Tracker analysed the effects of deforestation on #Brazil. #Deforestation of the #Amazon could turn it into a savannah, destroying its ability to regulate its own climate. It will likely impact Brazil’s economy, investment portfolios - from Brazilian sovereign bonds to domestic #agribusiness- and multinational #food system companies. The significance of Brazil in the global supply chain underscores the urgency for investor action. Learn more in our report here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEmSfWK3 #ForestDay #FAO #FAOForestry #Deforestation #supplychains #food #foodsystems