A new analysis shows that more than 97% of soybean cultivation in Brazil’s largest soy-producing state already complies with the European Union’s strict deforestation-free and legality requirements under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The study, carried out by MosaiX, assessed every major soy farm in Mato Grosso to evaluate readiness for the EUDR.
Mato Grosso accounts for around 27% of Brazil’s soybeans and 30% of its soy exports, making its compliance status critical for global soy supply chains. Long linked to deforestation, the state has faced intense scrutiny from policymakers, buyers, and environmental groups.
Using high-resolution satellite imagery, official land registry data, deforestation alert systems, and proprietary soy mapping tools, MosaiX cross-checked cultivation areas against three EUDR criteria:
- No forest clearing after the December 2020 cutoff date
- Valid legal registration of farmland
- No overlap with protected forests or other legally restricted areas.
The analysis found that 97.21% of Mato Grosso’s soy farmland is compliant, meaning no recent deforestation and full legal conformity. Just 2.79% was flagged as non-compliant, primarily due to post-2020 forest clearance, cultivation inside protected forests, or unclear land registration.
Additionally, while deforestation in the state spiked to nearly 500,000 hectares in 2020 and remained high into 2022, it fell sharply in 2023 to about 200,000 hectares. This decline, combined with the high compliance rate, suggests that Mato Grosso is on track to meet EUDR standards across nearly all soy production.
Non-compliant plots are concentrated in a small number of northern and northwestern districts, such as Colniza and Aripuanã. MosaiX identified no districts classified as “high risk” overall.
Some report notes that ensuring full compliance will require tackling a few persistent issues, including achieving full farm-to-port traceability in complex supply chains; maintaining continuous monitoring to prevent new deforestation; and accelerating land registration for the small number of unregistered farms.
"EUDR, which will apply to soy imports from the end of 2025, was designed to reduce the EU’s role in global deforestation and biodiversity loss. Mato Grosso’s readiness offers a positive case study for other producing regions, showing that with robust monitoring, legal enforcement, and farmer engagement, large-scale agriculture can align with environmental protection goals," MosaiX said.
Check out the study here.
