Over 300 Industrial Agriculture Lobbyists Attend Cop30, Outnumbering Several National Delegations, Investigation Finds

More than 300 industrial agriculture lobbyists are attending this year’s UN climate summit in Belém, deep in the Brazilian Amazon—despite the sector being the region’s leading driver of deforestation, a joint investigation by DeSmog and the Guardian has revealed.

The number of delegates representing large-scale cattle, grain and pesticide interests has risen 14% since last year’s summit in Baku, surpassing the size of Canada’s entire COP30 delegation of 220 officials. Of these lobbyists, 77 are embedded within official country delegations, with six reportedly having privileged access to negotiation spaces where global climate policy decisions are shaped.

Scientists warn that agriculture—responsible for 25–33% of global emissions—cannot continue on its current trajectory if the world hopes to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. In the Amazon, cattle ranching remains the biggest driver of deforestation, followed by industrial soy production for animal feed. Studies have previously warned that as much as half of the Amazon could reach a catastrophic ecological tipping point by 2050.

Indigenous communities expressed deep concern over the heavy presence of agribusiness at the summit. “More than 300 agribusiness lobbyists occupy the space at COP30 that should belong to the forest peoples,” said Vandria Borari of the Borari Kuximawara Indigenous Association, calling the industry’s model of development “violence.”

Critics argue that corporate access to climate talks has grown unchecked. Recent COPs have avoided binding commitments to curb emissions, fossil fuel use or meat consumption—outcomes celebrated by industrial food interests. A 2020 study found that even if fossil fuel emissions ceased immediately, current food system practices could still make the 1.5°C and even 2°C global heating limits unattainable.

This year, meat and dairy companies sent the largest share of agribusiness delegates—72 in total—nearly double the number representing climate-vulnerable Jamaica. India sent 87 negotiators. According to Friends of the Earth US, the emissions footprint of the 45 biggest meat and dairy companies rivals that of Saudi Arabia, with JBS alone accounting for 24% of that total. JBS has eight lobbyists at COP30, including its CEO.

The pesticide and fertiliser sector accounts for 60 delegates, while biofuel interests sent 38—a 138% spike since last year. Bayer has the single largest corporate delegation with 19 lobbyists; Nestlé sent nine.

Most synthetic fertilisers are made from fossil fuels and emit nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO₂.

“These findings are proof that industrial agriculture has been allowed to co-opt the climate convention,” said Lidy Nacpil of the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development. “COP will never deliver real climate action as long as industry lobbyists are allowed to influence governments and negotiators.”

Food is not an official focus of this year’s negotiations, but agribusiness interests stand to benefit from key discussions on biofuels and climate finance. Brazil is pushing to quadruple biofuel use, even as research shows certain biofuels can emit more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels due to land-use impacts.

Agribusiness giants are also positioning themselves to receive substantial climate finance, despite already benefiting from extensive public subsidies.

“What’s happening in Belém is not a climate conference but a hostage negotiation over the future of the planet,” said author and academic Raj Patel, describing major agribusiness actors as “soy barons, beef cartels and pesticide peddlers.”

The investigation reviewed the UNFCCC’s provisional list of 56,000 COP30 participants, identifying representatives from the largest global corporations in meat, dairy, pesticides, fertilisers, food processing, commodity trading and biofuels, as well as affiliated trade groups and agricultural unions.

Brazil’s National Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA), a powerful agribusiness lobbying arm, has supported controversial legislation restricting Indigenous land rights and has attempted to dismantle the Amazon soy moratorium.

Meanwhile, US agribusiness interests have spent more than $500 million lobbying Congress between 2019 and 2023.

Bayer said it supports actions to avert the climate crisis, while JBS said it is focused on improving efficiency and reducing food waste. Nestlé, CNA, the Meat Institute, the Brazilian COP30 presidency and the UNFCCC did not respond to requests for comment.