Intersectional Environmental Justice in Dutch–Brazilian Beef and Soy Trade

Vinícius Mendes, Cristina Yumie Aoki Inoue, Niels Søndergaard, and Nathália Tavares examine how soy and beef trade between Brazil and the Netherlands is connected to forest degradation, biodiversity loss and human rights issues in both countries. Employing an intersectional environmental justice (IEJ) framework, the researchers highlight how local populations (e.g., Indigenous peoples, peasant women, and Quilombolas communities) face vulnerabilities due to land use change, biodiversity loss and agro-extractivism, in connection with identity attributes such as race, class, gender, and the like. The authors suggest how the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) can potentially become a tool to reduce human rights risks and intersectional injustices throughout these commodity supply chains. The authors advocate for inclusive governance processes, involving local populations and smaller traders, to foster a more equitable and sustainable trade system.