Technology Solutions for Supply Chain Traceability in the Brazilian Amazon
The 2019 Amazon fires brought unprecedent attention to the issue of deforestation in Brazil, which is currently at its worst levels since 2007. The Brazilian National Institute of Space Studies (INPE) reported an 85% increase in deforestation in the Amazon from 2018 to 2019, and by June 15, 2020, deforestation had already risen a further 34% over 2019 levels. In response to last year’s fires, 251 global investors with $17.7 trillion in assets issued a demand for companies to meet their commodity supply chain deforestation commitments or risk losing access to international markets. Later, in December 2019, 87 UK companies and asset managers called for an extension of the Amazon Soy Moratorium, while this past June, an additional 29 state financial institutions responsible for over $4 trillion in assets expressed their grave concern over increasing systemic risks.
