After four years of a neoliberal government that dismantled environmental regulations in Brazil, the country is once again transitioning toward a state-led model of development. But entrenched domestic interests may thwart a more sustainable path.

Lula’s current progressive administration is unable to give up neoextractivism, as giving up on commodity-led growth would likely invite an economic and social disaster.

China is Brazil's largest and most important trading partner. Celio Hiratuka explains how the Brazil-China trade relationship is evolving and how the Chinese automaker BYD is just one example of how Brazil is getting more out of its largest economic partner.

China is a key financier of Brazil's massive infrastructure projects, especially it's sprawling railroad network. However, these projects have come at a steep environmental cost in places like the Amazon, while Indigenous people and other local populations have fought hard against these Chinese-funded projects.