Globalization and soybean expansion into semiarid ecosystems of Argentina

Abstract

Deforestation is the product of complex interaction among local idiosyncratic properties of natural and social systems and driving forces that commonly operate at large spatial scales (1). Social and economic globalization, particularly reduced communication and transportation barriers, has increased the relative importance of global drivers of environmental change (e.g. deforestation). For example, agriculture expansion is increasingly influenced by technological changes that are rapidly disseminated worldwide (2) and by changes in consumption patterns of a few countries that have a disproportionate influence on the global markets because of their large population (e.g. China) or high levels of consumption (e.g. USA, European Union). The increased importance of soybean production in the global economy is an example of how local and global factors can interact and have large effects on natural systems. A number of characteistics of soybean have made it an attractive crop in the globalized context. Soybean has low water content, high nutritive value, and the capacity to yield a variety of products (e.g. human food, animal food, oil, and industrial derivates) (3). These characteristics reduce vulnerability to market fluctuations, reduce storage and transportation costs, and have contributed to its rapid expansion. Furthermore, the increasing global demand for soybean products has resulted in large investments in research and development and the widespread use of transgenic cultivars that have increased yields, reduced costs by reducing herbicide use, and increased the range of appropriate planting environments