Navigating Human Rights Compliance in Brazil’s Agricultural Sector

The Platform AgroBrasil+ Sustentável (AB+S) is seen as a promising solution for increasing transparency and credibility in the monitoring of agricultural supply chains. This policy brief assesses its potential contributions to compliance and human rights monitoring and offers recommendations to strengthen its social dimension. It also considers the role of Brazil’s agricultural sector in advancing the human rights agenda and aligning with international requirements. Prepared by Proforest with support from GIZ (SAFE program), it serves as a resource to policymakers, AB+S technical teams, the private sector, civil society, and academia. 

The analysis combined comparative assessments of the AB+S Platform against international regulations, certification standards, and sustainability schemes combined with stakeholder consultations. It examined human rights criteria related to labour, IP&LC land rights, gender equality, as well as monitoring mechanisms (such as grievance mechanisms). 

Findings indicate that although the AB+S Platform is a strategic tool for socioenvironmental compliance, coverage of some human rights topics is limited due to gaps in public databases and fragmented information systems. The brief also recognises that the Platform focuses on aggregating official data and best agricultural practices and was not designed to address all socioenvironmental issues, highlighting the complementary role of sectoral actors. 

The recommendations outline ways to strengthen the human rights dimension of sustainability efforts so public and private actors can better map, prevent, and mitigate risks across supply chains. Progress will require coordinated engagement among government, companies, sectoral platforms, and civil society to support more transparent and responsible production.