A newly reinstated soy moratorium in Brazil is intended to help prevent deforestation in the Amazon and preserve natural habitats. 

As Mongabay reported, Brazil's federal court overturned a recent suspension of the 2006 moratorium late last month. The country's antitrust regulator — CADE — had been investigating claims that the moratorium violated competition laws and called for its suspension in mid-August.

Soy farm lobbyists had argued that the moratorium's zero-deforestation rule penalizes local farmers. 

"This is an old fight, but we'll keep fighting to try and topple this moratorium," Maurício Bufon, president of Brazil's major soy farmers' lobby, told Mongabay. "It's a cartel of companies that dominate the soy market and use the environmental issue to give credibility to their agreement."

However, the federal judge wrote that the moratorium is "voluntary, involves multiple public and private actors, and has been recognized as an instrument to promote sustainable development." 

As described in a report from the World Wildlife Federation, the moratorium was created as a "sectoral agreement under which commodities traders agreed to avoid the purchase of soybeans from areas that were deforested after 2008." Implemented after public pressure from Greenpeace to address soy industry impacts on the rainforest, some have argued that the agreement has actually improved the strength and reputation of Brazilian soy products on the international market, where some traders are restricted from purchasing goods with certain environmental impacts.

Since its inception almost 20 years ago, the moratorium is believed to have preserved at least 7,000 square miles of land in the Amazon Rainforest, according to Mongabay.

Political actions and even single elections can have profound impacts on the fate of vulnerable ecosystems. Fortunately, Brazil's government has been making strides in restoring and protecting the rainforest. 

Agricultural moratoriums like this can often prove beneficial in helping to protect Indigenous communities, wildlife, plants, and the environment from habitat loss and pollution risks. By limiting farming activities for environmental reasons, governments can help keep local lands as clean and safe as possible. 

Moratoriums can also offer an opportunity for governments to pause and reassess changing market and environmental conditions. 

Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas ☝️ No way 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

That pause can be a time for industrial innovation too. Even temporarily halting certain farming practices can enable agricultural leaders to explore newer, more sustainable methods and technologies to adapt to shifting ecosystemic needs and consumer demands.  

A Greenpeace Brazil forest campaign coordinator told the Associated Press in August, "Without the moratorium, soy could once again supercharge deforestation."

There's an essential balance to be struck between agricultural production and environmental protection. Healthy populations rely on resilient food systems — people and food systems also rely on healthy environments. But, according to Brazilian climate scientist Carlos Nobre, that balance is nowhere in sight. 

"We should prohibit deforestation in the Amazon because it is very close to the point of no return," he told the AP.

The news agency reported that the federal judge's overturn of the suspension could be temporary as CADE's next steps and the legal process unfold, meaning that the future of the soy moratorium still remains unclear.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.