China's Demand for Soybeans is Fueling the Destruction of the Amazon Rainforest with Melissa Chan
In recent years, as the trade war between the United States and China threatened to disrupt Chinese soy supplies, Beijing began making big investments in Brazil. This included a potential new railway -- the so-called grain train -- that would link Brazilian soy fields to its ports. The problem is, from an environmental point of view, these fields are mostly in the heart of the lush Amazon Rainforest. As Chinese demands for Brazilian soy have increased, so too has the pace of deforestation.
My guest today, Melissa Chan, co-authored a piece in The Atlantic that examines the impact of China's demand for soy on the region of Brazil where it is mostly grown. The piece, China Wants Food. Brazil Pays the Price, was supported by the Pulitzer Center. Melissa Chan's co-author is Heriberto Araujo.
We kick off discussing the significance of a single road in the Amazon called BR 163, before having a broader conversation about the relationship between China, Brazil, soybeans and climate change.