In the 1980s, the world became aware of the rapid destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its critical importance for oxygen production, fresh water, and biodiversity. Despite fears that it was too late, deforestation rates significantly dropped by 70% at one point. However, this progress was not sustained, and the Amazon is once again facing widespread destruction due to fires and deforestation.

The first major wave of deforestation began in the 1970s when Brazil's military regime sought to profit from the Amazon's vast natural resources. The construction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway facilitated settlement and land clearing. Settlers converted land into cattle pastures, leading to an 'Arc of Deforestation' and a significant increase in deforestation rates, averaging over 20,000 square kilometers annually between 1978 and 1988.

Worldwide demand for meat increased, driving the need for more soybeans as animal feed. Brazil's soybean exports surged in the mid-1990s, leading farmers to convert pastures into soy farms. This pushed ranchers further into the rainforest, clearing more land, often illegally, to expand cattle grazing. This created a profitable but destructive pattern, expanding the 'Arc of Deforestation' further north by the early 2000s.

In response to environmental pressure, the Brazilian government under President Lula da Silva, led by Environment Minister Marina Silva, implemented a plan to curb deforestation. This involved expanding protected areas, creating sustainable-use reserves, demarcating indigenous lands, strengthening the Forest Code, and empowering IBAMA to enforce anti-deforestation laws.

The plan showed results, with deforestation rates dropping by more than half in 2006. Activist movements pressured agricultural companies, leading to the 2006 Soy Moratorium and a similar agreement for beef a few years later, prohibiting purchases from newly deforested land. International financial support further aided these efforts, leading to historically low deforestation rates. Brazil's soy and beef industries continued to grow through more efficient land use.

The 'ruralistas,' conservative politicians representing agricultural interests, gained significant influence, weakening environmental protections. They pushed for changes to the Forest Code, slashed IBAMA's budget, and made it easier to legalize illegally seized land. These actions emboldened illegal deforestation, leading to a rise in rates. In 2018, Jair Bolsonaro, an ally of the ruralistas, became president and systematically weakened environmental agencies, significantly increasing deforestation and fires in protected areas by 2019.

Historically, 17% of the Amazon has been deforested. Experts warn that if deforestation reaches 20-25%, the rainforest could enter a collapse, unable to sustain itself, leading to massive carbon dioxide release and further global warming. Despite the science, many politicians and agricultural businesses in Brazil prioritize short-term profits, ignoring the long-term global consequences of destroying this vital ecosystem.