We must not barter the Amazon rainforest for burgers and steaks | Jonathan Watts

The EU-Mercosur trade deal is good news for Brazil's huge beef industry but devastating for the rainforest and environment

European leaders have thrown the Amazon rainforest under a Volkswagen bus in a massive cows-for-cars trade deal with Brazil and three other South American nations.

The EU-Mercosur agreement - the largest in Europe's history, according to officials - will make it cheaper for Brazilian farmers to export agricultural products, particularly beef, despite growing evidence that cattle ranching is the primary driver of deforestation.