Abstract
The global food market makes international players intrinsically connected through the flow of commodities, demand, production, and consumption. Local decisions, such as new economic policies or dietary shifts, can foster changes in coupled human–natural systems across long distances. Understanding the causes and effects of these changes is essential for agricultural-export countries, such as Brazil. Since 2000, Brazil has led the expansion of soybean planted area—19 million hectares, or 47.5% of the world’s increase. Soybean is among the major crop commodities traded globally. We use the telecoupling framework to analyze (i) the international trade dynamics between Brazil and China as the cause of the increased production of Brazilian soybean since 2000; (ii) and the cascading effects of the Sino-Brazilian telecoupled soybean system for Brazilian maize production and exports, with attention to consequences on domestic prices, availability, and risks associated with climatic extreme events. Census-based data at state and county levels, policy analysis, and interviews with producers and stakeholders guided our methodological approach. We identified that the Brazilian soybean production decreased maize single crop production and accelerated maize as a second crop following soybean, a practice that makes farmers more vulnerable to precipitation anomalies (e.g., rainfall shortage). In addition, the two-crop system of soybean/maize pressures the Brazilian maize market when unexpected events such as extreme droughts strike and when this results in a failed maize harvest in the second crop, most of which is for domestic consumption rather than export. Our study suggests the need to incorporate the telecoupling framework in land use decision-making and understanding landscape changes.
Highlights
International agricultural commodity trading trends have shaped the food production landscapes in recent years
We address soybean trading between China and Brazil to demonstrate the cascading effect on maize, using the telecoupling framework as a methodological approach
These important causes emerged from the telecoupled soybean system that is leading to cascading effects over maize production and markets in Brazil
Summary
International agricultural commodity trading trends have shaped the food production landscapes in recent years. Land 2017, 6, 53 migration fluxes in China [5] increases crop demand due to the change of population structure and consumption demand, especially for more livestock food sources [6] These international flows of agricultural commodities have impacts on many aspects of both importing and exporting countries, including land-use changes, deforestation, biodiversity loss, economic growth and inequalities, social effects (i.e., displacement of smallholders, livelihood improvement in producing regions), and food security [2,7]. We analyze the cascading effects of the Brazil and China telecoupled soybean system on the Brazilian maize exports and production system, and its consequences on the domestic prices and availability of maize
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
