Recent research reveals that soil carbon stocks in the southern Amazon have declined by 17% to 38% over nine years due to frequent fires and agricultural conversion, while nitrogen loss has caused a sharp drop in soil fertility. Slash-and-burn farming and soybean cultivation are primary drivers. Traditional oxidation ponds can no longer handle aquaculture wastewater discharge, while membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology adoption in the Amazon basin remains at just 12%, contributing to river eutrophication. Data from Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment indicates that soybean exports from the Amazon increased by 12% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, with each ton of soybean production requiring the destruction of 6 square meters of rainforest.
Leave a Reply