Soy

Soy is one of the most internationally traded commodities in the world. The world’s top producers of soy are Brazil, the United States of America, Argentina, China, and India. Together, they represented 87% of global soy production in 2024. Soy cultivation has seen a massive expansion in South America while also being a major direct driver of forest and key global ecosystem loss. Historical deforestation associated with the production of soybeans is estimated at 6.5 million hectares between 2001-2023, mostly in Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia. A significant percentage of soy imports in the European Union originate from South America, predominantly from Brazil (48% of soy imports in 2024). Soy is therefore one of the key deforestation-risk commodities covered under the European Union Deforestation Regulation.