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Contextualizing certification and auditing: Soy certification and access of local communities to land and water in Brazil

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  • Schilling-Vacaflor, Almut
  • Lenschow, Andrea
  • Challies, Edward
  • Cotta, Benedetta
  • Newig, Jens

Abstract

The massive expansion of soy production in Brazil has contributed to a loss of access for local communities to land and water, particularly in highly dynamic frontier regions in the Cerrado. Soy certification standards like the Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS) contain principles that are supposed to prevent such problems. In this paper, we examine the extent to which certification and auditing have served to protect local communities’ access to land and water in western Bahía state in the Cerrado’s Matopiba region. We draw on findings from field research in Brazil and western Bahía, 72 semi-structured interviews with corporate, state and civil society actors, and a systematic analysis of audit reports from RTRS-certified farms in Bahía.

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  • Schilling-Vacaflor, Almut & Lenschow, Andrea & Challies, Edward & Cotta, Benedetta & Newig, Jens, 2021. "Contextualizing certification and auditing: Soy certification and access of local communities to land and water in Brazil," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:140:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x20304083
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105281
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Oberlack, Christoph & Blare, Trent & Zambrino, Luca & Bruelisauer, Samuel & Solar, Jimena & Villar, Gesabel & Thomas, Evert & Ramírez, Marleni, 2023. "With and beyond sustainability certification: Exploring inclusive business and solidarity economy strategies in Peru and Switzerland," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    3. Johnson, Adrienne, 2022. "The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and transnational hybrid governance in Ecuador’s palm oil industry," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. Almut Schilling-Vacaflor, 2021. "Integrating Human Rights and the Environment in Supply Chain Regulations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, August.
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    6. Daniel Puente-Rodríguez & Harmen van Laar & Maayke Veraart, 2022. "A Circularity Evaluation of New Feed Categories in The Netherlands—Squaring the Circle: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-27, February.

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