Resilience, Regulation, and Resistance: A Sociological Perspective on Supply Chains and Amazonian Deforestation

This paper examines the socio-ecological dynamics of global supply chains between Brazil and Germany, focusing on sectors that drive Amazon deforestation. These supply chains, shaped by global demand, significantly impact forest ecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss, land degradation, and social inequality. Indigenous communities are particularly affected, as resource extraction and agricultural expansion frequently encroach upon their territories. This disrupts traditional ways of life, erodes cultural practices, and displaces entire communities. We adopt a sociological perspective to analyse resilience in these supply chains, viewing it not merely as adaptive efficiency but as a dynamic process shaped by structural inequalities and cultural repertoires. The study differentiates between actor-level resilience and systemic resilience to assess how socio-environmental movements and protests challenge existing structures and advocate for change. The research that the paper is based on employs ethnographic methods and case studies in Brazil and Germany to investigate the impact of global supply chains on deforestation and local communities. We aim to explore how these supply chains drive environmental degradation, contribute to social inequalities, and affect Indigenous and rural populations. Our focus is on social movements and protests emerging in both Germany and Brazil in response to these supply chains, as well as the policing of these protests. We seek to analyse how these movements expose environmental destruction, amplify the voices of affected communities, and advocate for social and ecological justice.