#soy — Public Fediverse posts

#News: 🐻🌿 Protecting #Peru’s grasslands vital for #vulnerable Spectacled #bear. #Research finds bears prefer foraging areas with negative impact of #meat #soy and #palmoil agriculture. #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🥩⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OQ?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

#News: 🐻🌿 Protecting #Peru’s grasslands vital for #vulnerable Spectacled #bear. #Research finds bears prefer foraging areas with negative impact of #meat #soy and #palmoil agriculture. #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🥩⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OQ?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

#News: 🐻🌿 Protecting #Peru’s grasslands vital for #vulnerable Spectacled #bear. #Research finds bears prefer foraging areas with negative impact of #meat #soy and #palmoil agriculture. #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🥩⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OQ?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

#News: 🐻🌿 Protecting #Peru’s grasslands vital for #vulnerable Spectacled #bear. #Research finds bears prefer foraging areas with negative impact of #meat #soy and #palmoil agriculture. #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🥩⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OQ?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Soy vegetariano. ¿Cómo puedo obtener suficiente hierro? | Comida y bebida vegetariana. #Bebida #comida #como #hierro #obtener #puedo #soy #suficiente #vegetariana #vegetariano #ButterWord #Spanish_News Comenta tu opinión 👇
https://butterword.com/soy-vegetariano-como-puedo-obtener-suficiente-hierro-comida-y-bebida-vegetariana/?feed_id=81039&_unique_id=6a0352056f2bf

Legumes can cut the risk of hypertension by 30%

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/high-blood-pressure-hypertension-legumes-soy

#vegan #wfpb #plant-based #soy #legumes #hypertension #bloodpressure #health

Legumes can cut the risk of hypertension by 30%

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/high-blood-pressure-hypertension-legumes-soy

#vegan #wfpb #plant-based #soy #legumes #hypertension #bloodpressure #health

Legumes can cut the risk of hypertension by 30%

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/high-blood-pressure-hypertension-legumes-soy

#vegan #wfpb #plant-based #soy #legumes #hypertension #bloodpressure #health

Legumes can cut the risk of hypertension by 30%

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/high-blood-pressure-hypertension-legumes-soy

#vegan #wfpb #plant-based #soy #legumes #hypertension #bloodpressure #health

Legumes can cut the risk of hypertension by 30%

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/high-blood-pressure-hypertension-legumes-soy

#vegan #wfpb #plant-based #soy #legumes #hypertension #bloodpressure #health

How many runways can you see for Stronsay airport (UK) ? : The answer is on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/eger/en #stronsayairport #airport #stronsay #uk #eger #soy #aviation #avgeek vl

https://www.europesays.com/es/539789/ Mucha gente piensa que yo soy de derechas por trabajar en ‘El Hormiguero’, pero… #cristina #derechas #ElHormiguero #Entertainment #Entretenimiento #ES #España #Gente #Navarra #pardo #piensa #sincera #soy #Spain #trabajar #TV

#vegan #cows #birth #soy

I was researching #LacticAcidBacteria, and came across this article. It could be game changer for those of us who have issues digesting #SoyProducts!

These three plant bacteria turn #soy yogurt into a safer, creamier product while stripping out troublesome sugars

by Technical University of Denmark
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

April 21, 2026

"Researchers at DTU have found that a particular type of lactic acid bacteria displays considerable potential for producing plant-based yogurt alternatives. The bacteria can inhibit potentially harmful bacteria and break down sugars that cause stomach discomfort.

"#PlantBased alternatives to yogurt are often made using bacterial cultures employed in yogurt production, even though plant-based raw materials differ markedly from milk. For example, there is no lactose in plants, and plant proteins are more difficult to break down than milk proteins.

"Researchers from DTU, in collaboration with colleagues at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Cambridge, therefore investigated whether lactic acid bacteria isolated from vegetables and fermented foods, and often found in the intestines of humans and animals, might be better suited to the task.

"The research, which has been published in the Journal of Food Protection, showed that three plant-isolated enterococci (a type of lactic acid bacteria) were highly suitable for producing a soy-based yogurt alternative.

" 'The bacteria did more than simply ferment the soy drink. They were also able to suppress undesirable bacteria, break down unwanted sugars, and reduce phytic acid, that make it difficult for the body to absorb minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium,' says postdoctoral researcher Belay Tilahun Tadesse of the DTU National Food Institute.

"Improved food safety and shelf life
In the experiments, the lactic acid bacteria grew efficiently in the soy drink and lowered the pH, making the product acidic and yogurt-like. The most promising candidates acidified rapidly, even without the addition of sugar.

"The bacteria were also able to ferment at a relatively high temperature, at which many undesirable microorganisms, including pathogenic ones, do not thrive. This could help to extend shelf life and improve food safety.

" 'We observed that three of the bacterial strains quickly took control of the fermentation in the soy drink. This is important because stable and effective acidification is one of the first requirements when developing a robust product,' says Belay Tilahun Tadesse.

"The three most promising bacterial strains showed a broad antimicrobial effect against pathogenic bacteria, including listeria and E. coli. This makes them particularly interesting, given the high priority placed on food safety.

"In addition, the bacterial strains tested were able to produce compounds that contribute to texture, making the yogurt creamier.

"Overall, the research findings show that the isolated enterococci have a stronger effect against undesirable microorganisms and a better acidification capacity than enterococci already on the market and approved for use in food and feed.

" 'We have shown that the lactic acid bacteria tested are safe. However, further research is needed, for example, to determine how flavor is affected and whether plant raw materials other than soy can be used. Also, before they can be used in Europe, they must be approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),' says Associate Professor Christian Solem of the DTU National Food Institute.

Findings:
- Four safe enterococci were investigated as potential starter cultures for the production of soy-based yogurt alternatives. Three of the bacterial strains proved promising (Enterococcus faecium BT0194, Enterococcus lactis BT0173_2, Enterococcus lactis BT0167_2).
- The bacteria were able to acidify soy milk and produce a yogurt-like product.
The three best candidates combined rapid fermentation with the ability to inhibit the pathogenic bacteria tested.
- The results show that the bacteria can break down undesirable sugars, which can cause digestive discomfort, and phytic acid, which can inhibit the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
- The bacteria also showed properties that may be relevant to achieving a thicker, creamier consistency.
Further research and EU-approval is needed before the bacteria can be used in finished starter cultures."

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-soy-yogurt-safer-creamier.html

#SolarPunkSunday #SoyProducts #Vegan #VeganYogurt #SoyYogurt #Fermentation

#Palmoil 🪔 #soy #meat 🥩 and #cocoa 🍫 #agriculture along with #climatechange and #habitatloss in rainforests is driving #insects to the edge of #extinction. Take action by going #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴💀⛔️ @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-4KY?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

No #Margay has the same gorgeous pattern of spots 🐾✨💖🐆 They are Near Threatened in #SouthAmerica for #palmoil #soy #meat #deforestation and illegal #poaching. Fight for them and be #vegan 🥕🍆🤟 #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/11/26/margay-leopardus-wiedii/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Uniquely beautiful Bald-headed Uacaris are unusual with their bright red faces. Threats include #palmoil #meat #soy and gold #mining #deforestation. Fight for their survival and #BoycottPalmOil and #gold! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/24/bald-headed-uacari-cacajao-calvus?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Fermentation boosts anti-inflammatory power in dairy alternatives

Fermented plant-based dairy alternativ…
#NewsBeep #News #Technology #Alcohol #Anti-Inflammatory #Antioxidant #Assay #AU #Australia #Blood #BloodVessels #Cancer #Cardiometabolic #CardiovascularDisease #Carotenoid #Cell #Chronic #chronicdisease #diabetes #diet #FattyAcids #Fermentation #Inflammation #Lipids #Malignant #Nutrients #OxidativeStress #Platelet #smoking #Soy #soybeans #stress #Vitamins
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/619575/

Fermentation boosts anti-inflammatory power in dairy alternatives

Fermented plant-based dairy alternativ…
#NewsBeep #News #Technology #Alcohol #Anti-Inflammatory #Antioxidant #Assay #AU #Australia #Blood #BloodVessels #Cancer #Cardiometabolic #CardiovascularDisease #Carotenoid #Cell #Chronic #chronicdisease #diabetes #diet #FattyAcids #Fermentation #Inflammation #Lipids #Malignant #Nutrients #OxidativeStress #Platelet #smoking #Soy #soybeans #stress #Vitamins
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/619575/

Urgent call to action! 🌍 #UK’s heavy use of #palmoil #soy & #beef fuels global #deforestation. Demand stricter regulations & transparency. Make every purchase count and #Boycottmeat #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife, learn more:
https://wp.me/pcFhgU-78V?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The largest of the howler #monkeys, Colombian Red #Howler 🐵🐒❤️ are decreasing due to #palmoil #soy #meat and #mining #deforestation. Help them to survive and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔🔥🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife #BoycottGold @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/02/25/colombian-red-howler-monkey-alouatta-seniculus/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The #Oncilla is a small wild #cat found in Central and #SouthAmerica. They are #vulnerable from #soy #meat #palmoil #deforestation. Resist and help them, be #vegan 🥦🍅🥒 and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔⛔️#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/08/14/northern-tiger-cat-oncilla-leopardus-tigrinus/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Once believed #extinct, the enigmatic #BushDog 🐕🐺 is now ‘Near Threatened’ from #palmoil 🌴🔥 and #soy 🥜🔥 #deforestation in #SouthAmerica. Masterful hunters they rely on prey that is disappearing. Help them survive! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴☠️⛔ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-73d?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Uniquely beautiful Bald-headed Uacaris are unusual with their bright red faces. Threats include #palmoil #meat #soy and gold #mining #deforestation. Fight for their survival and #BoycottPalmOil and #gold! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/24/bald-headed-uacari-cacajao-calvus?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The #biofuel boom in #Brazil made from #palmoil and #soy is touted as a #climate saviour. Yet in reality, biofuel #deforestation is causing #food insecurity, #indigenous land-grabbing and #ecocide #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🛢️🔥⛔

http://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/12/biofuel-boom-in-brazil-green-growth-or-greenwash/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

The #biofuel boom in #Brazil made from #palmoil and #soy is touted as a #climate saviour. Yet in reality, biofuel #deforestation is causing #food insecurity, #indigenous land-grabbing and #ecocide #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🛢️🔥⛔

http://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/12/biofuel-boom-in-brazil-green-growth-or-greenwash/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Biofuel Boom in Brazil: Green Growth or Greenwash?

Brazil’s booming biofuel industry is hailed as a solution to climate change, yet its rapid expansion comes at a cost. The push for bioethanol and biodiesel production is driving deforestation, threatening food security, and displacing communities. As Brazil positions itself as a leader in bioenergy, concerns grow over the environmental and social impacts of this industry, spotlighting the need for genuine solutions. 🌿 #Biofuel #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateActionNow #Boycott4Wildlife

The #biofuel boom in #Brazil made from #palmoil and #soy is touted as a #climate saviour. Yet in reality, biofuel #deforestation is causing #food insecurity, #indigenous land-grabbing and #ecocide #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🛢️🔥⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social

Written by Monica Piccinini for The Canary, republished with author permission. Read original.

Brazil’s push to expand biofuels is central to its strategy to “drive the decarbonisation agenda” and build a robust “bioeconomy,” setting the stage for this to become a major focus at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP 30) in Brazil in November 2025.

Brazil’s biofuel ‘revolution’

During a ceremony at the Brasilia Air Base in October, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared:

Brazil will lead the world’s energy revolution

This statement came as he signed the Fuel of the Future Law, a set of initiatives aimed at advancing the country’s bioenergy sector. Lula added:

Brazil will get a head start because you, the entrepreneurs, who have the capacity to produce, to research. Enacting this law demonstrates that none of us have the right to continue disbelieving that this country can be a large economy,” added Lula.

Lula announced a rise in ethanol blending with gasoline from 22% to 27%, with a target of 35% by 2030. Biodiesel blending, currently at 14%, will increase by one percentage point annually, aiming to reach 20% by March 2030.

Biofuel mandates have generated a relentless demand for crops, including sugarcane, corn, soybean, and palm oil.

Ethanol and biodiesel production in Brazil reached nearly 43bn litres in 2023, according to the 2024 Brazilian Statistical Yearbook on Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuels, published by Brazil’s National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP).

Biofuels for energy independence

In Brazil, biofuels make up 25% of transportation fuels – a remarkably high share compared to other nations – and this proportion is still increasing. Bioethanol leads the biofuel sector, representing an average of 49% in terms of energy of the total gasoline and ethanol consumption.

Jorge Ernesto Rodriguez Morales, lecturer and researcher in environmental policy and climate change governance at the Department of Economic History and International Relations at Stockholm University, spoke to the Canary. He mentioned:

Historically, Brazilian energy policy has achieved significant success, largely due to the development of the oil industry alongside biofuels and other energy sources. This diversification has enabled Brazil to rely less on energy imports from the global market, fostering a degree of energy independence and security critical for economic stability.

He added that:

By reducing dependence on external energy sources, Brazil’s economy is less vulnerable to external shocks, such as fluctuations in oil and gas prices. Sugarcane ethanol, in particular, has been pivotal in these developments, positioning bioenergy – a renewable energy form derived from recently living organic materials known as biomass – at the forefront of national strategies to combat climate change.

Green sheen

Although bioenergy has been promoted as a climate strategy, there is ongoing debate within the scientific community regarding the actual sustainability of biofuel production.

Some scientists argue that the production of biofuels is an energy-negative process that may lead to various socio-environmental consequences. These include rising food prices that threaten food security and the conversion of forestlands for biofuel cultivation. Some state that presenting bioenergy as a climate strategy has served as a justification for the industry’s expansion in Brazil and globally.

Morales explained that:

Despite its success, the biofuels industry in Brazil developed within broader developmental and territorial security goals, often placing significant pressure on ecosystems and communities in an institutional environment that generally overlooked socio-environmental concerns. This unsustainable co-evolution of development pathways and bioenergy – marked by deforestation, land colonization, and agricultural expansion – has limited the adaptation space in agriculture. As a result, current climate policy is largely oriented toward path-dependent and potentially maladaptive strategies, such as relying on sugarcane ethanol for transportation.

A report by the Royal Society raises concerns about expanding biofuel production, highlighted issues such as the impact on food prices, the potential rise in greenhouse gas emissions due to direct and indirect land use changes (LUC) associated with biofuel feedstock production, and the risks of land, forest, water resource, and ecosystem degradation.

The Royal Society report recommends comprehensive auditing of biofuel supply chains as essential, along with enhancing transparency, data availability, and sharing. These elements are crucial for ensuring that the life cycle assessment (LCA) of biofuels is reliable and beneficial for policymaking.

Demand driving deforestation

The use of feedstocks like sugarcane, palm oil, corn, and soybean – predominant in Brazil – has sparked significant controversy, primarily due to competition with food production and concerns about converting agricultural land into fuel production. Rising demand for agricultural products poses a risk of increased deforestation and the use of land with high biodiversity value to satisfy this demand, along with related freshwater consumption.

The EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) identifies soybean as one of the world’s leading drivers of deforestation. Trade interests appear to be the main barrier to removing soy biofuels from the Renewable Energy Directive, as Europe imports nearly 90% of its soy for biodiesel production from Brazil, Argentina, and the United States.

Dr David Pimentel, a professor of ecology and agricultural sciences at Cornell University, asserted that there is insufficient land, water, and energy available for biofuel production. He also highlighted environmental issues associated with converting crops into biofuels, such as water pollution from fertilisers and pesticides, air pollution, soil erosion, and contributions to global warming.

Pimentel conducted calculations that accounted for all the inputs needed to produce ethanol, including machinery, seeds, labour, water, electricity, fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides, fuel, drying, and transportation. He found that producing one litre of fuel-grade ethanol (5,130 kcal) requires an energy input of 6,600 kcal, indicating that biofuel production is an energy-negative process.

‘Serious socio-economic impacts’

A report published in the Biofuel journal states that measuring greenhouse gas emissions linked to ethanol fuel should account for emissions at every stage, including production, processing, distribution, and vehicle use. This comprehensive assessment is known as the core well-to-wheels LCA emissions, along with any additional emissions resulting from LUC.

Morales discussed some of the impacts of implementing a climate policy that relies on biomass fuels. He told the Canary:

Current climate policy positions biomass-based fuels as a replacement for fossil fuels in the transport sector, with sugarcane ethanol as a flagship solution for greenhouse gas reduction in international climate negotiations. However, scaling up bioenergy production can have serious socio-environmental impacts.

He added that:

Like food production, ethanol requires land, water, and nutrients, meaning that a large-scale expansion could intensify the negative side effects of agricultural growth. These include significant socio-environmental challenges related to sustainable development goals, such as deforestation (SDG 15), CO2 emissions from land-use change (SDG 13), nitrogen losses (SDGs 13, 14, 15), unsustainable water withdrawals (SDG 14), and food security risks (SDG 2), among others.

Brazil biofuel policies

During Brazil’s colonial period (1500-1822), sugarcane plantations established the basis for political power through land monopoly and slavery. Policies were implemented to promote the economic interests of the agribusiness sector.

In response to the energy and sugar crisis of the 70s, Brazil launched a national ethanol program called “Pró-Álcool” in 1975. This initiative included tax breaks, subsidies, and lower financing costs to benefit the sugarcane industry, including producers, planters, distillers, and the automotive sector.

The “Pró-Álcool” policy led to significant repercussions, such as the exploitation of workers (bóias-frias) and environmental degradation, which the Brazilian government neglected out of concern that environmental regulations might hinder economic growth and development.

From 1992 to 2004, while Brazil’s total greenhouse gas emissions rose by 80%, the government defended its support for ethanol on environmental grounds, positioning bioenergy as a “sustainable energy source.” This approach framed bioenergy as part of a climate strategy, leading to its promotion at international levels to combat climate change.

Overlooking indirect land use changes

However, the socio-environmental impacts of bioenergy production were largely overlooked, including direct and indirect LUC, water and biodiversity loss, deforestation, fertiliser pollution, and soil erosion.

In 2017, the “Renovabio” initiative was launched as a new government program aimed at promoting the growth of the bioenergy sector, with an emphasis on various types of biofuels, such as biodiesel, biomethane, bioethanol, and biokerosene.

A report published in the Biofuels journal indicates that Brazil’s RenovaBio programme does not account for direct or indirect LUC in its emissions calculator, potentially leading to an overestimation of decarbonisation levels and encouraging biofuel production with greater environmental impacts. To ensure the program is environmentally effective and delivers appropriate signals to decision-makers, it is crucial to incorporate LUC parameters into the calculator.

Morales mentioned that:

Brazil’s ethanol diplomacy aims to portray the nation as climate-conscious, using biofuel as leverage in climate negotiations. Many countries have followed Brazil’s ‘successful’ example by integrating bioenergy into their climate policies, even though its social and environmental costs are widely acknowledged.

Biofuel Expansion

Raízen, formed from the merger of Cosan and Shell, along with BP Bunge, Atvos, São Martinho, Tereos, Lincoln Junqueira, Cofco, Coruipe, Adecoagro, Katzen, Millenium, Brasil BioFuels (BBF), and Agropalma, represent some of the leading bioenergy companies in Brazil.

In October, Katzen International, a prominent bioethanol company, announced the successful completion and launch of the INPASA Agroindustrial S/A bioethanol plant expansion project in Sinop, Mato Grosso. This expansion boosted the plant’s production capacity to 2.1bn litres per year, establishing it as the largest grain-based dry mill bioethanol facility in the world.

Corn ethanol production in Brazil is projected to reach 7.7 billion litres in 2024/25, representing a 20% increase compared to previous years.

The biofuel industry is making significant investments in the state of Pará. Governor Helder Barbalho has announced plans for a biofuel refinery to be established in the municipality of Redenção, located in the southeastern part of the state. A collaboration between the Mafra Group and Companhia Mineira de Açúcar e Álcool (CMAA), which together comprise Grão Pará Bioenergia, will contribute over $350 million to this project.

Barbalho said that:

These are the agendas that will be challenging for us: the forest agenda, the energy production agenda. These are different agendas in which each one of them can present their solutions.

Alongside the refinery, a fattening service for cattle will be provided to partner ranchers, allowing them to use the refinery’s facilities for confining their animals. The primary feedstock for cattle confinement will be Dried Distillers Grain (DDG), a by-product of corn ethanol production.

Fueling conflicts

A report by NGO Imazon revealed that Pará accounted for 57% of the degraded forest areas in the Amazon. Forest degradation surged from 196 km² in September 2023 to 11,558 km² in the same month this year – nearly a 60-fold increase.

The state of Pará, which will host COP30, is marked by conflicts, including those related to the palm oil industry. Palm plantations in Pará cover an area that was once rainforest, approximately 226,834 hectares, nearly equivalent to the size of Luxembourg.

An investigation by the NGO Global Witness revealed that two major Brazilian palm oil companies, Agropalma and Brasil Biofuels (BBF), were implicated in conflicts with local communities in the state of Pará. BBF faced allegations of environmental crimes and violent efforts to suppress indigenous and traditional communities. Meanwhile, Agropalma was associated with community evictions and land grabbing.

A study by scientists Lucas Ferrante and Philip Fearnside revealed that biofuel companies, such as Millenium Bioenergia, are establishing a production chain for biofuels and food products derived from monocultures on Amazonian Indigenous lands and within other traditional communities.

Millenium announced plans to “partner” with Indigenous and traditional communities, proposing unpaid labour to produce corn, fish, chickens, pigs, and confined cattle. This approach not only infringes on human rights but also poses a risk of triggering new pandemics due to zoonotic leaps linked to environmental degradation.

Biofuels an exercise in greenwashing Brazil’s climate policy

Brazil must expand biofuel production to meet growing demand, which will increase logistical pressures nationwide. Critical to this expansion are infrastructure projects, such as the construction of highways like the Amazon’s BR-319, connecting Manaus to Porto Velho, and the Ferrogrão railway project, linking Sinop in Mato Grosso to the port of Miritituba, situated across the Tapajós River from Itaituba in Pará. These developments are likely to cause irreversible environmental degradation and adversely affect numerous indigenous and traditional communities in these areas.

Morales highlighted the Brazilian government’s position and priorities concerning the expansion of biofuel production:

In foreign environmental policy, the Brazilian government has historically been reluctant to prioritise environmental protection over economic growth, often attributing major environmental issues to developed countries. Although various administrations have made efforts to address environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss and climate change, these issues remain secondary concerns, frequently viewed as obstacles to short-term political and economic goals.

He added:

Positioning bioenergy as a climate strategy has effectively justified broader policies supporting the biofuel industry and contributed to the greenwashing of Brazil’s climate policy on the international stage. Several countries have mirrored Brazil’s approach, adopting bioenergy into their climate agendas in response.

Featured image via the Canary

Written by Monica Piccinini for The Canary, republished with author permission. Read original.

ENDS

Read more about deforestation and ecocide in the palm oil industry

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#chicken #Huhn #soy

Eleven having some soygurt.

Sinu Parakeets are on a knife-edge of survival in #Colombia 🇨🇴 ravaged by #PalmOil #Soy and #Meat #Deforestation, they may now be lost 💔🙈 Help them and others survive before we never see them again. #BoycottPalmOil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/03/09/sinu-parakeet-pyrrhura-subandina/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela

Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.

The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

Iconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

https://youtu.be/yPM7uV9kL24

Appearance & Behaviour

The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.

Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.

Threats

Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching

Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.

Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation

Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.

Hunting for meat and beak trade

In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.

Capture for the illegal pet trade

The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.

Climate change and drought-related food shortages

Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.

Geographic Range

Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.

Diet

Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.

Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.

Mating and Reproduction

Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.

These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.

FAQs

How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?

The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).

Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?

They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.

Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?

They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.

Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?

No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

#News: #Carrot waste made from #vegan #mushroom protein beats #soy in #plantbased taste tests! 🧐 A delicious way to save animals and stop #ecocide. 🌴🙊🔥🚫 @palmoildetect.bsky.social #Boycott4Wildlife https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251220104557.htm?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The rarest owl in the world is the Pernambuco Pygmy #owl. Maybe now #extinct due to massive forest loss in #Brazil 🇧🇷 from #meat 🥩 #palmoil 🌴 #soy 🥜 and #sugarcane #deforestation Help them and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/20/pernambuco-pygmy-owl-glaucidium-mooreorum/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The rarest owl in the world is the Pernambuco Pygmy #owl. Maybe now #extinct due to massive forest loss in #Brazil 🇧🇷 from #meat 🥩 #palmoil 🌴 #soy 🥜 and #sugarcane #deforestation Help them and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/20/pernambuco-pygmy-owl-glaucidium-mooreorum/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The rarest owl in the world is the Pernambuco Pygmy #owl. Maybe now #extinct due to massive forest loss in #Brazil 🇧🇷 from #meat 🥩 #palmoil 🌴 #soy 🥜 and #sugarcane #deforestation Help them and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/20/pernambuco-pygmy-owl-glaucidium-mooreorum/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The rarest owl in the world is the Pernambuco Pygmy #owl. Maybe now #extinct due to massive forest loss in #Brazil 🇧🇷 from #meat 🥩 #palmoil 🌴 #soy 🥜 and #sugarcane #deforestation Help them and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/20/pernambuco-pygmy-owl-glaucidium-mooreorum/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The rarest owl in the world is the Pernambuco Pygmy #owl. Maybe now #extinct due to massive forest loss in #Brazil 🇧🇷 from #meat 🥩 #palmoil 🌴 #soy 🥜 and #sugarcane #deforestation Help them and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/20/pernambuco-pygmy-owl-glaucidium-mooreorum/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The fermentation gods have my soybeans. May they kindly return them tomorrow stinky, stringy and slimey 🙏

#Natto #Nattokinase #JapanCulture #Japan #Cuisine #Soy #Ferment #Fermentation #Food

Today is #WorldBearDay 🐻🌿 Protecting #Peru’s grasslands vital for #vulnerable Spectacled #bear. #Research finds bears need foraging areas impacted by #meat #soy and #palmoil agriculture Be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🥩⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OQ?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

For decades, Brazil’s largest soya traders had pledged not to buy soya grown on land cleared in the Amazon rainforest, but now that protection is being dropped. 🌳 https://veganfta.com/articles/2026/03/14/brazilian-soya-giants-abandon-amazon-safeguard-raising-deforestation-fears/ #brazil #soy #soya

https://www.europesays.com/es/428347/ Soy de extrema derecha, soy de Santiago Abascal #alvaro #dates #Entertainment #Entretenimiento #ES #España #extrema #first #soy #Spain #TV

Pied #tamarins are unique matriarchal #monkeys of #Brazil, led by 1 female in small troops 🐒🩷 #Gold #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation are decimating them. Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/20/pied-tamarin-saguinus-bicolor/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

How many runways can you see for Stronsay airport (UK) ? : The answer is on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/eger/en #stronsayairport #airport #stronsay #uk #eger #soy #aviation #avgeek vl

How many runways can you see for Stronsay airport (UK) ? : The answer is on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/eger/en #stronsayairport #airport #stronsay #uk #eger #soy #aviation #avgeek vl

Elénzia launches NPD targeting gut barrier mucosal support https://www.diningandcooking.com/2509166/elenzia-launches-npd-targeting-gut-barrier-mucosal-support/ #agriculture #AminoAcid #Bean #beans #bowl #cereal #Cooking #dietary #DolichosSoja #Fabaceae #fiber #food #GlycineSoja #Grain #grains #health #isoflavones #leguminosae #mineralsorganic #nature #nutrition #PhaseolusMax #protein #Raw #Seed #SojaMax #Soy #soya #SoyaBean #Soyabean #soyabeans #Soybean #soybeans #Tofu #Vegan #Vegetarian #vegetation #Vitamins #Wooden

How many runways can you see for Stronsay airport (UK) ? : The answer is on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/eger/en #stronsayairport #airport #stronsay #uk #eger #soy #aviation #avgeek vl

How many runways can you see for Stronsay airport (UK) ? : The answer is on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/eger/en #stronsayairport #airport #stronsay #uk #eger #soy #aviation #avgeek vl

How many runways can you see for Stronsay airport (UK) ? : The answer is on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/eger/en #stronsayairport #airport #stronsay #uk #eger #soy #aviation #avgeek vl

#News: Your #retirement funds could be fueling #ecocide. US #banking giants are driving #landgrabbing and #deforestation in #Brazil’s Cerrado for industrial #soy. Justice for i#ndigenous communities now! 🧐🔥🌱 @palmoildetect.bsky.social
https://foe.org/news/land-grabbing-cerrado/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer