Project

TraseH2O

Inactive project

2021–2025

Project contact

Michael Lathuillière / michael.lathuilliere@sei.org

The production and trade of soy and beef from Brazil is linked to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity. These impacts motivate existing zero-deforestation commitments from countries and companies, but the effects of such commitments on local water use and scarcity are poorly understood.

One of the main pathways for achieving deforestation-free supply chains is to intensify agricultural production – a process which can be highly demanding on water resources. Brazilian soybeans rely almost entirely on rainfall whose magnitude can decrease with upwind deforestation and increase with upwind irrigation; a growing Brazilian cattle population will require an increasing amount of drinking water typically stored in farm impoundments on the landscape.

This project explores the links between the global trade of Brazilian soy and beef commodities, water use and water scarcity, and policies designed to improve the sustainability of supply chains (particularly zero-deforestation commitments).

Our work also seeks to use Trase to highlight the links between water use for soy and beef and commodity exports from Brazil, and the effects of land use and land use change on regional precipitation.

Funder: Formas
Partner: Stockholm Resilience Centre

Objectives

Quantify regional water use for Brazilian soy and beef sectors in relation to product exports
Reveal the shared responsibility of producers and consumers on the impacts of deforestation and agricultural intensification on the regional water cycle
Assess trade-offs between water use and environmental impacts resulting from producer and consumer interventions and policies that aim to combat deforestation.

irrigation system watering a farm field of soy, in Brazil — Photo: Alfribeiro / Getty Images.

Aerial view of the Amazon River flowing through dense rainforest.

Trase: Traders exposed to water scarcity risks in Brazilian beef and soy supply chains

Feature / A new Trase report illuminates hidden dependencies and risks regarding freshwater use in Brazilian soy and beef supply chains.

13 January 2026 / About Forests, Public policy, Supply chains and Water resources

View of the Friendship Bridge with Paraná river, South America.

Trase: Water scarcity looms as hidden risk for Brazil’s soy and beef traders

Press release / A new Trase report quantifies how trader supply chains are exposed to water scarcity risks, alongside exposure to deforestation.

13 January 2026 / About Business, Forests, Public policy, Supply chains and Water resources

Soybean planting fields in the northern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil.

Trase: EU and China at risk from water scarcity via imports of Brazil beef and soy

Press release / Unique research by Trase published in Nature shows hotspots of water use linkages to soy and beef imports.

25 August 2025 / About Business, Climate policy, Public policy, Supply chains and Water resources

International reliance on Brazil’s water through soy and beef supply chains

Journal article / The study links Brazilian soy and beef exports to China and the EU with river basin water use and scarcity.

25 August 2025 / About Food and agriculture, Supply chains and Water resources

Complementary perspectives and metrics are essential to end deforestation

Journal article / By proposing a unified framework for classifying deforestation metrics, this article aims to provide clarity and consistency in sustainability reporting.

6 October 2025 / About Adaptation, Food and agriculture, Forests and Land use

Data for “International reliance on Brazil’s water through soy and beef supply chains”

Journal article / The Supplemental Data for the publication entitled "International reliance of Brazil's water through soy and beef supply chains" are available for download.

17 October 2025 / About Food and agriculture, Supply chains and Water resources

Cattle graze on yellow grass near watering hole in dry Brazilian landscape in front of mountains, Porteirinha, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Beyond deforestation: water use in global agricultural commodity supply chains

SEI brief / Deforestation is not the only factor that should be considered in a crop's environmental footprint. Water use is often overlooked in agricultural policy.

2 May 2022 / About Business, Food and agriculture, Forests, Land use, Public policy, Supply chains and Water resources