Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems
Abstract Human–environment interactions within and across borders are now more influential than ever, posing unprecedented sustainability challenges. The framework of metacoupling (interactions within and across adjacent and distant coupled human–environment systems) provides a useful tool to evalua...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98256-6 |
| _version_ | 1828975214890844160 |
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| author | Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva Andrés Viña Emilio F. Moran Yue Dou Mateus Batistella Jianguo Liu |
| author_facet | Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva Andrés Viña Emilio F. Moran Yue Dou Mateus Batistella Jianguo Liu |
| author_sort | Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Human–environment interactions within and across borders are now more influential than ever, posing unprecedented sustainability challenges. The framework of metacoupling (interactions within and across adjacent and distant coupled human–environment systems) provides a useful tool to evaluate them at diverse temporal and spatial scales. While most metacoupling studies have so far addressed the impacts of distant interactions (telecouplings), few have addressed the complementary and interdependent effects of the interactions within coupled systems (intracouplings) and between adjacent systems (pericouplings). Using the production and trade of a major commodity (soybean) as a demonstration, this paper empirically evaluates the complex effects on deforestation and economic growth across a globally important soybean producing region (Mato Grosso in Brazil). Although this region is influenced by a strong telecoupling process (i.e., soybean trade with national and international markets), intracouplings pose significant effects on deforestation and economic growth within focal municipalities. Furthermore, it generates pericoupling effects (e.g., deforestation) on adjacent municipalities, which precede economic benefits on adjacent systems, and may occur during and after the soybean production takes place. These results show that while economic benefits of the production of agricultural commodities for global markets tend to be localized, their environmental costs tend to be spatially widespread. As deforestation also occurred in adjacent areas beyond focal areas with economic development, this study has significant implications for sustainability in an increasingly metacoupled world. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:17:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98beeae69a334e6fbbf6236c415a3687 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:17:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-98beeae69a334e6fbbf6236c415a36872022-12-21T22:58:10ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-09-0111111210.1038/s41598-021-98256-6Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systemsRamon Felipe Bicudo da Silva0Andrés Viña1Emilio F. Moran2Yue Dou3Mateus Batistella4Jianguo Liu5Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State UniversityCenter for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State UniversityCenter for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State UniversityEnvironmental Geography Group, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de BoelelaanCenter for Environmental Studies and Research, State University of CampinasCenter for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State UniversityAbstract Human–environment interactions within and across borders are now more influential than ever, posing unprecedented sustainability challenges. The framework of metacoupling (interactions within and across adjacent and distant coupled human–environment systems) provides a useful tool to evaluate them at diverse temporal and spatial scales. While most metacoupling studies have so far addressed the impacts of distant interactions (telecouplings), few have addressed the complementary and interdependent effects of the interactions within coupled systems (intracouplings) and between adjacent systems (pericouplings). Using the production and trade of a major commodity (soybean) as a demonstration, this paper empirically evaluates the complex effects on deforestation and economic growth across a globally important soybean producing region (Mato Grosso in Brazil). Although this region is influenced by a strong telecoupling process (i.e., soybean trade with national and international markets), intracouplings pose significant effects on deforestation and economic growth within focal municipalities. Furthermore, it generates pericoupling effects (e.g., deforestation) on adjacent municipalities, which precede economic benefits on adjacent systems, and may occur during and after the soybean production takes place. These results show that while economic benefits of the production of agricultural commodities for global markets tend to be localized, their environmental costs tend to be spatially widespread. As deforestation also occurred in adjacent areas beyond focal areas with economic development, this study has significant implications for sustainability in an increasingly metacoupled world.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98256-6 |
| spellingShingle | Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva Andrés Viña Emilio F. Moran Yue Dou Mateus Batistella Jianguo Liu Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems Scientific Reports |
| title | Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems |
| title_full | Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems |
| title_fullStr | Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems |
| title_short | Socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems |
| title_sort | socioeconomic and environmental effects of soybean production in metacoupled systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98256-6 |
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