Trade, sustainability, and agribusiness: Brazilian interest groups in EU-Mercosur negotiations

This study examines the strategic responses of Brazilian agricultural interest groups to the sustainability demands in the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement (EMAA), with a focus on the EU's anti-deforestation regulations. Employing document analysis, interviews, and a framing approach, it highlights the diverse strategies used by large-scale agribusinesses and family farmers to navigate international trade norms and sustainability standards. Large agribusinesses frame the EU's regulations as protectionist while leveraging geopolitical rivalries, particularly Brazil's ties with China, to contest Northern regulatory dominance. Meanwhile, smaller producers emphasize their role in sustainable practices but face marginalization in policymaking. The analysis reveals how Brazilian agribusiness actors challenge and reshape global sustainability governance, exposing asymmetries in North-South trade dynamics while advancing their economic interests. This case underscores the increasing agency of Southern capital in global trade negotiations and offers critical insights into the evolving intersection of trade, sustainability, and power in the global political economy.