Round Table on Responsible Soy na Amazônia: uma análise dos relatórios de auditoria

Abstract

In recent decades, soybean monoculture in the Amazon has generated significant economic and socio-environmental impacts. To mitigate conflicts and promote equity, private transnational governance initiatives focusing on sustainability have established standards for the soy production chain. In its mission to promote "responsible" soy production, the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) certifies about 40% of its agricultural enterprises in Brazil, exerting considerable influence in the Legal Amazon. This research, utilizing machine learning methodology through the Transformers framework, seeks to identify discursive patterns in RTRS audit reports. Furthermore, by conducting a time series analysis, Covariance Analysis, Constant Market-Share Analysis, and the Jevons-Borlaug Index, the economic effects of this certification on the value chain in the Legal Amazon were verified. The tested hypothesis was that RTRS certification, contrary to expectations, segments agricultural enterprises in the discursive field, secures large market demand shares for a small number of organizations, and boosts their financial profitability through increased capital reputation. With this hypothesis confirmed, it was concluded that RTRS presents structural problems in its governance, paradoxically acting in opposition to its initial purpose. Thus, it becomes evident that private transnational governance of soy has economic impacts that favor specific business groups in the region and acts to incite an increasing demand for land as a production factor.