Results of monitoring the soybeans crop in the Amazon, conducted by the National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE), were released on Wednesday (9/5) by the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (ABIOVE). Check out the full report here.   
 
This analysis verifies the compliance with the Soy Moratorium, an initiative in its fifth year, representing the commitment of industries and exporters of ABIOVE and National Association of Cereal Exporters (ANEC) with the refusal of soy cultivated in Amazon deforested areas after 2006.

The Soy Moratorium is an example of the importance of spatial data to foster actions of environmental responsibility and to contain forest clearing. Based on monitoring outcomes, ABIOVE has reiterated that soy has not been a major factor in Amazon deforestation.

From satellite images of deforestation since the beginning of the Soy Moratorium in 2006 – for detection of possible soybean crops, then validation through flyover and field work – the soybean was identified in 18,410 hectares (ha) deforested.

Between 2007 and 2011, 4.51 million ha of the Amazon biome was deforested, of which 3.47 million ha (77%) are from the three soybean producer’s states – Mato Grosso, Pará and Rondônia. Were monitored 58 municipalities that are 98% of the soybean crop in the Amazon biome.

According to the report, the area of soybean crop corresponds to 0.41% of Amazon deforestation, or 0.53% of the deforestation in the three soybean producer’s states. 

The satellite monitoring of the Moratorium is a result of the partnership of INPE with the Soy Working Group (GTS), composed by the ABIOVE and ANEX affiliates and by civil society organizations (International Conservation, Greenpeace, IOAM, TNC and WWF-Brasil), besides the Ministry of Environment and the Bank of Brazil.

The GTS receives an important technical and scientific contribution from INPE, which is capable of detecting agricultural crops in deforested areas by the assessment of satellite images.  For the Soy Moratorium monitoring were also used databases from FUNAI, IBAMA, IBGE and IMAZON. The Company “Geoambiente Sensoriamento Remoto” was hired by GTS to fly over the region and identify the areas previously selected by INPE. To consolidate the information of the overflight, was also carried out site visits at the farms with soybean crops.

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