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The US trade wars with China is one of the main reasons why the Soy bean production in Brasil has increased in recent years - https://www.reuters.com/article/us

by vfc1 7y ago

The US trade wars with China is one of the main reasons why the Soy bean production in Brasil has increased in recent years - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-grains/brazil-rides-wave-of-soybean-sales-to-china-as-u-s-trade-war-rages-idUSKCN1SN1Z7 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-grains/brazil-ride... I know that the US is self-sufficient in meat, both in terms of raising the cattle and the soy and corn crops that feed it. Actually, a large portion of the US is dedicated to meat production, both in pasture land and feed crops - https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-us-land-use/ https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-us-land-use/ Which is insane if you ask me, a horrendous waste of resources.

kmonsen 7y ago
Are you really saying that because China is refusing to buy soy beans from the US, that makes the US to blame for China buying more soy beans from Brazil?
- vfc1 7y ago
  I'm saying that global demand for cheap meat (lead by both China and the west) is the actual cause for the ongoing deforestation, as the forest is being cleared to produce cattle feed. And this is something hardly mentioned in the news at all, by whatever reason. The trade wars with China have made things a bit worst recently, as there is more demand for brasilian soy. The main responsibility for me lies with the consumers of the final product (meat), because they are driving the demand. But OK it's not just the west after all, it's mostly the west and China, but really any nation that is importing cattle feed from Brasil is sponsoring the deforestation, it's a global thing.
  - endorphone 7y ago
    It isn't the West at all beyond the most marginal of imports to a small number of EU countries. That you are trying to eek out some sort of completely convoluted way that your incorrect claim was right is becoming some serious mental gymnastics. The West likes beef. The West overwhelmingly makes and feeds internally, having nothing to do with the Amazon rainforests. Will you now argue that the West is to blame because it doesn't make enough for itself and China? If you argued that palm oil production was a factor you'd have some basis, but you are entirely and completely off base with these claims about beef.
    - vfc1 7y ago
      You know well that there are a lot more crops other than soy being planted, it's obviously much more complicated than that. Do you have any doubt that a lot of the products produced directly or indirectly as a result of the deforestation are being sold mostly to the richest countries in the world that can afford it?
jfindley 7y ago
Hmm, as I understand it, the US/China trade war you're referring to has been going on for about a year, total[0]. Looking at the graph for soybean production in Brazil, the increase in the past year has been pretty small and actually appears to be a slight slowing of the growth curve[1], even if the export curve looks rather different. I guess you could make an argument that the trade war has driven the increased deforestation over the past 12 months, but you could just as easily blame any number of other factors, notably including Brazil's current president who has rolled back a number of important environmental protections. Not every problem needs to be exclusively the fault of the west - it's okay for other people to do things wrong as well. 0: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-exports/us-official-says-china-far-short-of-soybean-purchase-pledge-after-small-sale-idUSKCN1VC1S9 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-exports/u... 1: https://gro-intelligence.com/insights/articles/in-race-for-china-brazil-eyes-record-soybean-crop https://gro-intelligence.com/insights/articles/in-race-for-c...

by vfc1 7y ago

kmonsen 7y ago

Are you really saying that because China is refusing to buy soy beans from the US, that makes the US to blame for China buying more soy beans from Brazil?

vfc1 7y ago
I'm saying that global demand for cheap meat (lead by both China and the west) is the actual cause for the ongoing deforestation, as the forest is being cleared to produce cattle feed. And this is something hardly mentioned in the news at all, by whatever reason. The trade wars with China have made things a bit worst recently, as there is more demand for brasilian soy. The main responsibility for me lies with the consumers of the final product (meat), because they are driving the demand. But OK it's not just the west after all, it's mostly the west and China, but really any nation that is importing cattle feed from Brasil is sponsoring the deforestation, it's a global thing.
- endorphone 7y ago
  It isn't the West at all beyond the most marginal of imports to a small number of EU countries. That you are trying to eek out some sort of completely convoluted way that your incorrect claim was right is becoming some serious mental gymnastics. The West likes beef. The West overwhelmingly makes and feeds internally, having nothing to do with the Amazon rainforests. Will you now argue that the West is to blame because it doesn't make enough for itself and China? If you argued that palm oil production was a factor you'd have some basis, but you are entirely and completely off base with these claims about beef.
  - vfc1 7y ago
    You know well that there are a lot more crops other than soy being planted, it's obviously much more complicated than that. Do you have any doubt that a lot of the products produced directly or indirectly as a result of the deforestation are being sold mostly to the richest countries in the world that can afford it?

jfindley 7y ago

Hmm, as I understand it, the US/China trade war you're referring to has been going on for about a year, total[0]. Looking at the graph for soybean production in Brazil, the increase in the past year has been pretty small and actually appears to be a slight slowing of the growth curve[1], even if the export curve looks rather different. I guess you could make an argument that the trade war has driven the increased deforestation over the past 12 months, but you could just as easily blame any number of other factors, notably including Brazil's current president who has rolled back a number of important environmental protections. Not every problem needs to be exclusively the fault of the west - it's okay for other people to do things wrong as well. 0: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-exports/us-official-says-china-far-short-of-soybean-purchase-pledge-after-small-sale-idUSKCN1VC1S9 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-exports/u... 1: https://gro-intelligence.com/insights/articles/in-race-for-china-brazil-eyes-record-soybean-crop https://gro-intelligence.com/insights/articles/in-race-for-c...