Coloniality and transformations in global agricultural trade: an assessment of Brazil-China cooperation on biofertilizers

China’s role in the global food system is a driver of rising environmental impacts, due to the role of the country as a major importer of agricultural products such as soy, corn and beef, and exporter of chemical fertilisers. Brazil-China agri-food trade is particularly relevant, being the largest in the world in terms of volumes and revenues. Currently, agro-commodity production heavily depends on fertilisers, particularly chemical fertilisers. Chemical fertilisers, especially nitrogen-based, are still largely utilised in agriculture, yet they drive soil degradation, pollution, and rising emissions. To cope with these issues, biofertilizers have been proposed as a substitute for chemical fertilisers. Biofertilisers can be a driver of greening agricultural development in China, enhancing soil fertility and mitigating environmental pollution. In this context, in this article we explore how knowledge exchange and South-South partnership have advanced in the domain of biofertilizers in Brazil-China cooperation. The research included semi-structured interviews and document analysis, including policy papers and company reports. We argue that China’s evolving environmental governance under Ecological Civilisation creates new opportunities for transforming the international trade and cooperation on biofertilizers, but also risks reproducing colonial and extractivist relations, since the colonial matrix of power is visible in Brazil-China cooperation and expanding relations in the domain of biofertilisers. Additionally, when inputs for commodity production and trade are available, sensitive regions in new agrarian frontiers, such as the Amazon, become more vulnerable to deforestation and socio-ecological depletion in light of the agro-export development model heavily supported by the state in Latin America. By situating these dynamics within the political ecologies of global China, we critically assess contested possibilities for aligning China-Brazil agri-food trade with climate, biodiversity, and social justice goals.