The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference, also referred to the “Conference of Parties” (COP), is an annual event that brings together nations from around the world to discuss climate solutions for the planet. Known as the ‘Amazon COP’, its 30th edition will be held in Belém, in the state of Pará, Brazil, and it will offer an opportunity for 198 countries to strengthen their commitments to tackle the current climate crisis.
According to the action agenda released by the Brazilian government, out of the six pillars to be discussed, “Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems” is the third one. The topic specifically refers to the connection between land restoration and sustainable agriculture; more resilient, adaptive and sustainable food production; and equitable access to adequate food and nutrition for all.
Beef farming and large-scale dairy production are the primary drivers of deforestation in tropical regions. Ironically, as home of the largest tropical rainforest and freshwater source on Earth, Brazil is the world’s largest beef exporter, with the largest commercial cattle herd, having converted nearly 20% of original forests into pastures over the last 4 decades in the Amazon, which is one of Earth’s ecological tipping points.
Although some commitments have been put in place to counter this process, such as the ZDC (Zero Deforestation Commitment) and the TAC (Term of Adjustment of Conduct), aiming to target the major meat commodity industries in Brazil, it is unclear whether these initiatives have been successful. Still, JBS – the biggest meat exporter in the world – aims to convince governments and the public that their business is “climate-friendly” through a series of greenwashing data to be presented at the international event.
Canada is not blameless in this regard. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in 2023 the Canadian government imported 8 megatonnes of Brazilian cooked beef, marking an 18% increase over 2022; and has recently resumed raw beef importation produced in Amazonian states, contributing to the devastation of the rainforest. Other large world powers such as China, the U.S. and the European Union also import enormous quantities of Brazilian beef, as documented in the 2025 report released by the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporters Industries.
Apart from deforestation, livestock production accounts for approximately 19.6% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions globally. In Canada, the agriculture sector is responsible for 12% of total greenhouse gas emissions of which at least 62% is derived from the production of meat, eggs and dairy, as well as crop fertilizers for corn and soymeal (a by-product from soy widely used to feed farmed animals, such as poultry and pork). This means if Canadians were to opt-out from meat consumption by shifting to a plant-based diet, we could dramatically reduce our GHG emissions.
As host of COP30, Brazil will need to demonstrate moral leadership by confronting the main drivers of the environmental crisis, while strengthening climate adaptation, mandating land restoration and improving food security via the promotion of plant-based foods. The current climate change reality must also be an invitation for individuals to act: to rethink their personal choices and to pressure their governments to phase out animal agriculture and the use of fossil fuels, while promoting large-scale sustainable solutions that prioritize people and the planet.
