en.Wedoany.com Reported - A study jointly conducted by the Center for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics (Cepea) and the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove) shows that the 2025/26 soybean harvest will drive Brazil's soybean and biodiesel industry chain into a new growth cycle, with growth momentum stemming primarily from value addition in industrial processing rather than relying solely on output increases.
The study estimates that the GDP of the soybean and biodiesel industry chain will grow by 6.87% in 2026, equivalent to 21.2% of Brazil's agribusiness GDP and 4.8% of the country's total economic output. Supporting factors include a record harvest of 180.56 million tons, increased industrial processing volumes, and robust demand for soybean meal, soybean oil, and biodiesel.
By segment, the industrial sector is expected to grow by 7.74%, benefiting from higher soybean crushing volumes and expanded biodiesel production capacity, the latter driven by the adoption of the B15 fuel blend. The agricultural services sector is expected to grow by 6.89%, reflecting more dynamic transportation, storage, and marketing activities, while the inputs sector follows agricultural production expansion.
The study provides key data illustrating the value of industrialization: each ton of soybeans produced and processed generates an average of R$6,710 in GDP, 3.84 times the value obtained from exporting unprocessed soybeans (R$1,747 per ton). Differences in employment are equally pronounced—in the first quarter of 2026, the industry chain employed 2.54 million people, with particularly strong job growth in the industrial and services sectors related to processing.
In foreign trade, the industry chain maintains positive momentum. Total exports in the first quarter reached 29.6 million tons, with a trade value of US$12.3 billion, driven by higher shipment volumes and the appreciation of products such as soybean oil and biodiesel on international markets.
The survey reveals that Brazil's soybean industry is undergoing a structural transformation, with the sustainable growth of the industry chain increasingly dependent on value addition from industrial processing rather than the simple expansion of agricultural production. Against the backdrop of sustained global growth in demand for food, animal protein, and biofuels, strengthening the domestic industry helps enhance Brazil's competitiveness and improve the distribution of economic benefits from the country's largest crop.
