Fragmented sustainability governance of telecoupled flows: Brazilian beef exports to China

Abstract

The intensified interconnection of global agri-food systems has linked local sustainability problems to distant global drivers. With point of departure in contributions within the field of environmental governance from the telecoupling literature, we examine how rapidly increasing Chinese demand for beef is associated with detrimental sustainability outcomes in Brazil. Providing an overview of the overlapping public and private governance arrangements that apply to these trade flows, our findings suggest that governance of telecouplings within the beef sector is highly fragmented, and has been predominantly concerned with market facilitation, generally overlooking sustainability issues. China has thereby emerged as a potential source of regulatory leakage, where non-compliant Brazilian exporters can redirect products with a low potential for commercialization in developed countries. We, therefore, call attention to the importance of governing new telecouplings between large developing countries through policies effectuating these states’ official environmental pledges.