Abstract

Soybean agriculture has expanded to become one of the leading export products in several countries, providing high economic benefits but with strong social and environmental impacts. Eduardo Gudynas argues that soybean agriculture represents the forefront of a great transformation in rural life as agribusiness oriented to global markets expands and takes over traditional farming. This transformation is marked by management rather than ownership of land, with control over production processes, privatization of resources, outsourcing and commodification replacing traditional farming activities. He warns that small farmers, peasants and indigenous groups are threatened with deepening marginalization and exclusion as the relentless logic of the market pushes them to relinquish control of their land.