By Anna Zarra Aldrich
Erik Katovich, assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, published a study in The Economic Journal proving this chatter has statistical significance.
Katovich’s study showed that large landholders in the Amazon who donate to winning municipal politicians, like a mayor, are more likely to develop soybean farming on their properties than those who donate to a losing candidate.
Soybean farming has become an incredibly important crop for the Brazilian economy following the legalization of genetically modified soy seeds in the early 2000s. This made growing the beans, which are native to more temperate climates, easier in the tropical Amazon. Brazil is the world’s largest soy producer.
Farmers with large plots of land are attracted to soy farming because it can generate significantly more revenue than cattle farming – one of the other largest agricultural activities in Brazil.
Source : uconn.edu