Industrial agriculture sends record number of lobbyists to amazon climate summit

A striking contradiction has emerged at COP30, the UN climate summit taking place in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest: more than 300 lobbyists representing industrial agriculture—the very industry driving widespread deforestation in the region—are participating in the crucial climate negotiations.

This massive lobbying presence represents a 14% increase from last year’s climate summit in Baku and actually exceeds the size of Canada’s entire delegation by 80 people. The agricultural lobbyists are advocating for industries including industrial cattle ranching, commodity grain production, and pesticide manufacturing—sectors collectively responsible for an estimated 25-33% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The timing and location make this lobbying surge particularly significant. The Amazon basin, where the summit is being held in Belém, has lost vast swaths of rainforest primarily due to cattle ranching and agricultural expansion. These activities not only release stored carbon from cleared forests but also eliminate critical carbon-absorbing ecosystems that are essential for global climate stability.

Environmental advocates are raising concerns about the influence these industry representatives may have on climate policies and commitments. The investigation, conducted jointly by DeSmog and The Guardian, highlights an ongoing tension at international climate negotiations: while world leaders gather to address the climate crisis, the industries most responsible for emissions maintain a powerful presence at the negotiating table. This dynamic raises important questions about whether meaningful climate action can emerge when those with the most to lose economically from environmental regulations have such significant access to policymakers.