The eradication of deforestation in Brazil by 2030 requires a series of measures, such as the effective implementation of the Forest Code, the promotion of traceability in supply chains, the control of wildfires, and the fight against organized crime in the Amazon. These initiatives are among the recommendations outlined in the publication “Brazil Without Deforestation: 12 Integrated Proposals for Conservation and Sustainable Development.”
The new publication proposes six actions to eliminate illegal deforestation and six additional measures to discourage legal deforestation, presenting an integrated approach that considers the specific challenges of each scenario.
The document also includes preventive actions and governance mechanisms involving states and municipalities, in line with the distinct dynamics of the Amazon and Cerrado regions. In the Amazon, for instance, deforestation is primarily illegal, driven by land grabbing, wildfires, and criminal activities. In the Cerrado, on the other hand, much of the deforestation occurs within the limits of the Forest Code, which allows the suppression of up to 80% of native vegetation on rural properties. These realities require tailored solutions adapted to each context.
1. Initiatives aimed at eliminating illegal deforestation:
1.1 – Effective implementation of the Forest Code
- Ensure the implementation of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) as an essential tool for environmental regulation and for aiding in the control, monitoring, and fight against deforestation. This enables the integrated oversight of rural properties by the National Rural Environmental Registry System (SICAR) in coordination with federal and subnational governments.
- Complete the analysis of the CAR by investing in technical teams from state environmental agencies and specialized firms and implementing efficient analysis systems. Only 3.3% of nationwide registrations have undergone analysis (Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-Rio, 2024). This effort is crucial for halting the registration of private properties on public forests, Indigenous Lands (TI), quilombola territories, and areas that have been illegally deforested.
- Consider the vital role of multi-sector agreements in conserving native vegetation and discourage any changes to federal or state legislation that hinder the enforcement of the Forest Code.
1.2 – Fighting organized crime related to illegal deforestation
- Allocate human, financial, and technological resources to enhance intelligence operations targeting organized environmental crime.
- Integrate the strategic efforts of agencies such as the Federal Police, Public Prosecutors’ Offices, state forces, and National Environment System institutions to respond to criminal networks effectively.
- Dismantle illicit and increasingly intertwined economies often starts with illegal deforestation, land grabbing, and the invasion of public lands (Igarapé Institute, 2022).
1.3. – Promoting traceability and transparency within production chains
- Develop, consolidate, and make transparent monitoring tools that connect multiple databases related to land use planning and agricultural production, including the CAR, the Animal Transit Guide (GTA), and vegetation suppression authorizations (ASV).
- Approve federal and state laws to oversee monitoring of all supply chain links, particularly for meat and soy, and also for indirect suppliers.
- Strengthen state environmental licensing and inspection systems by using resources and technology.
1.4 – Increasing the allocation of public forests towards protection and sustainable use
- Promote the allocation of public areas featuring native vegetation via the National Register of Public Forests (CNFP) and ensure their protection as restricted or sustainable use areas, particularly in areas facing significant deforestation threats.
- Establish comprehensive territorial planning and land regularization policies that encourage broad public and social engagement, resolve conflicts, and ensure legal certainty for everyone regarding sustainable land use and occupation. This approach acknowledges the significant role of Indigenous Lands in reducing deforestation. Over the past 30 years, these regions have only experienced a 1.2% loss of native vegetation, compared to a 19.9% loss in private properties (MapBiomas, 2023).
- Expand sustainable forest management by assigning public forests to federal and state concessions. Increasing the scale and diversifying the economic activities of these concessions – including restoration efforts – is crucial for promoting sustainable production models and curbing the spread of deforestation.
1.5 – Improve the process of authorizing the vegetation suppression and fire usage
- Strengthen the framework of the state’s Vegetation Suppression Authorization (ASV) licensing systems by providing technical and financial support along with qualified personnel.
- Enhance the clarity of ASVs and approvals for the use of controlled fire.
- Set criteria and minimum standards for inputting license data into the National System to Control the Origin of Forest Products (Sinaflor), enhancing the integration of state ASV and Controlled Fire Use licensing systems with the platform.
- Encourage command and control efforts in states grounded in a qualified analysis of ASVs.
1.6 – Establishing initiatives for fire prevention and control
- Expand awareness-raising initiatives for rural producers and local communities regarding the risks of improper fire use and the consequences of fires, while integrating this initiative with dissemination and education on Integrated Fire Management (IFM) legislation.
- Emphasize the importance of regulating the implementation of the IFM law at the state level, encouraging the planned and controlled use of fire in authorized cases, such as traditional cultural and agricultural practices, and establishing clear protocols for authorization and monitoring.
- Invest in training local brigades, establish regional firefighting centers, and strengthen partnerships for research and sustainable practices based on the IFM legislation.
- Introduce new criminal liability mechanisms for unauthorized fire use and impose stringent penalties to enhance enforcement and collaboration among various government levels.
2. Efforts to deter authorized deforestation:
2.1 – Promote the implementation of the national bioeconomy strategy
- Implement public policies and financial incentives to promote the bioeconomy, focusing on the sustainable use of biodiversity to generate jobs and income for family producers, traditional peoples, and communities.
- Lower operational and financial expenses to enhance the feasibility of bioeconomy initiatives and advance their development. This approach addresses key obstacles to these efforts, including inadequate infrastructure, lack of connectivity, insecurity, regulatory complexity, informality, logistical hurdles, and a lack of skilled labor. The initiative aims to cultivate a supportive business climate, expand products, inputs, and services, draw in trustworthy entrepreneurs, and promote an alternative economy that counters deforestation and trafficking.
2.2 – Strengthening the landscape and forestry restoration sector
- Secure funding and resources to enforce public policies to restore native vegetation at the federal and states levels.
- Enhance the restoration process on multiple levels, emphasizing the strengthening of the industry responsible for growing seeds and seedlings of native species.
- Strengthen public-private partnership frameworks for concessions in forest restoration and management. These models can act as barriers to deforestation while fostering economic opportunities for conserving standing forests, with a fairer distribution of risks, particularly regarding public safety and fire hazards.
- Structure financial and contractual incentives that attract investors with high integrity and ensure the economic viability of restoration efforts.
- Encourage a comprehensive landscape approach in forest concessions, supported by public policies that benefit communities and the areas surrounding the restored areas. This will create a favorable environment that encourages sustainable investments.
2.3 – Incentive for silviculture of native species
- Improve federal and state regulatory frameworks to eliminate barriers to planting and marketing products from native species, recognizing their potential to generate income, provide ecosystem services, and promote biodiversity conservation.
- Boost investment from public and private sectors in projects centered on native species while providing financing solutions and agricultural insurance for the industry.
- Promote R&D initiatives aimed at technological advancements that will enable the sustainable production and consumption of products linked to the silviculture of native species. The goal is to increase this sector’s potential to be on par with the nation’s leading agro-industrial industries.
2.4 – Regulating the Payment for Environmental Services Act
- Guarantee legal clarity for public or private projects, plans, or programs to preserve ecosystems, water sources, soil, biodiversity, genetic resources, and traditional knowledge.
- Implement an inclusive policy that values the efforts of traditional communities, Indigenous peoples, family producers, and owners of Private Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPNs).
2.5 – Carbon market regulation
- Regulate the Brazilian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading System (SBCE) to allow payments for producers who preserve or restore vegetation on their land.
2.6 – Establishing financial and technical incentives to prevent the use of fire
- Encouraging rural producers to embrace regenerative agriculture practices to decrease fire use across the landscape. This can be achieved by advocating for low-carbon production methods, like Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forest (iLPF) systems and crop rotation, and broadening specific credit options for sustainable agricultural practices.
- Promoting employment and income prospects through integrated fire management while fostering the training of skilled professionals for various ongoing activities in this field.
