EN 
PT_BR 
The Mato Grosso Soybean and Corn Producers Association (Aprosoja MT) has made significant progress in international negotiations on sustainability in the soybean supply chain, conducted in partnership with the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Food, Native Products and Animal By-products (CFNA/CHINA) and the World Resources Institute (WRI/CHINA).
Following the signing, in March 2024, of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Aprosoja MT, CFNA and WRI, an agreement establishing technical, commercial and institutional cooperation between Brazil and China, the drafting of the China-Brazil Guide for Sustainable Soy Supply Chains began. This document is intended to guide the Chinese market in assessing the environmental compliance of Brazilian production.
During the guide's development process, Aprosoja MT presented a series of technical contributions, warning of serious risks associated with proposals initially included in the text, such as:
– Reference to the Soy Moratorium, a private instrument without legal basis that creates trade distortions;
– Provision for CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) blocking, as a result of precautionary administrative measures, a procedure incompatible with Brazilian law and with the territorial nature of environmental sanctions;
– Inclusion of criteria and protocols not foreseen in the Forest Code, capable of generating legal uncertainty and losses for producers.
Formal statements from Aprosoja MT reinforced the need for the guide to strictly adhere to the current regulatory framework in Brazil, especially the Forest Code, the only legally recognized instrument for verifying socio-environmental compliance on rural properties.
The position defended by the entity, largely based on legal and technical aspects, had repercussions, and the Brazilian industry, represented by ABIOVE, contacted the WRI and CFNA urging caution, highlighting risks that could affect the competitiveness of Brazilian soybeans in the international market. Faced with this pressure, CFNA and WRI decided to postpone the publication of the guide, which was scheduled to take place during COP30 on November 14th.
Aprosoja MT considers this decision a significant victory for Brazilian producers, as it prevents a document with harmful points and disconnected from national legislation from being launched at a high-profile international event, compromising the sector's image and creating undue barriers to trade.
According to the organization, the postponement opens up space to continue the technical dialogue with Chinese institutions and ensure that any future guidelines respect Brazilian regulatory sovereignty; official socio-environmental monitoring instruments, such as CAR, PRA and the Forest Code; legal certainty and the competitiveness of rural producers.
Aprosoja MT reaffirms its commitment to sustainability based on law, transparency in trade relations, and strengthening the strategic partnership between Brazil and China, building pathways that guarantee legal security for producers and confidence for buyers.
