RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian supermodel turned environmental activist Gisele Bundchen is pushing back against the agricultural minister in her homeland, along the way wading into a growing debate about the future of the Amazon.

The brouhaha began Monday when Minister Tereza Cristina Dias accused Bundchen of tainting the country's image abroad. During a radio interview, Dias called the supermodel a "bad Brazilian" for denouncing deforestation and said the model should be promoting Brazil's agriculture and industries.

Late Wednesday, Bundchen wrote a measured response, saying she would "be ha...