Satellite Study Links South American Wildfires to Soybean & Cattle ExpansioncommentaryAgriculture Fires the Fires: Satellite Study Links South American Wildfires to Soybean and Cattle Expansion

The new study attributes the raging forest fires that have devastated South America’s dry forests mainly to agricultural expansion. The research, conducted by a team at Humboldt University in Berlin, reconstructed the fire history of the Chaco region using satellite data. While drought years do see more frequent fires, the investigators found that these blazes are closely linked to deforestation for soybean cultivation and cattle ranching.

Drawing on roughly 175,000 satellite images, the scientists discovered that two‑thirds of the area has experienced at least one fire since 1985. Lead author Matthias Baumann explained that “our data clearly show that drought periods are often used as a favourable window to cheaply slash land with fire”. He emphasized that fire is employed as a deliberate tool of agriculture.

These findings have implications for the upcoming EU regulation on deforestation‑free supply chains, set to take effect at the end of 2026. The regulation bars the import of raw materials such as soy and beef from lands that were cleared after December 2020. The university claims the study provides the scientific underpinning needed to monitor compliance with these new rules.