Several European financial investment groups promised last year to cease their operations in Brazil. Why? The reason cited was the rapid deforestation of the Amazon basin.

What has happened over the course of the year? For now, nothing. Cooperation continues, despite the fact that the situation regarding Brazil's rainforests is the worst it has been since 2006. European-based food retail chains, such as Tesco and M&S, have abandoned plans to boycott Brazilian products, explaining that they prefer a unified industry and government approach to halting the disappearance of the world's largest rainforest. A lack of decisive action and a similar attitude from other business owners cast serious doubt on whether the aforementioned promise (commitment) will ever be fulfilled. Moreover, there are well-founded doubts that the Bolsonaro administration, which has hitherto defended the "opening up of rainforests for development", will change its current practice, as... the harsh promises have remained just promises and nothing is changing.