I see Brazil’s new agriculture minister Tereza Cristina and her environment counterpart toured soya bean farms in an indigenous people’s reservation a few weeks ago. They were celebrating their appointment by controversial right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro – and the rolling of modern combines on to tribal land in the Amazonian heartland.

The message was clear: legislation must change to allow more agricultural development in such areas.

There was just a little problem, as confirmed by an amendment to the press release initially published on Minister Cristina’s website: the farm was illegal, and remained embroiled in negotiations with the authorities at the time of her visit to try to escape fines over excessive land clearance.

Surely not an argument in favour of a trade agreement with Mercosur, of which Brazil is the leading agricultural producer?

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