Three Pillars for Brazil
Eradicating hunger, combating deforestation, and generating employment and income in rural areas: these are the three pillars that should guide public policy for agriculture and the environment, according to the document “The Brazil of Tomorrow: Proposals for the country’s agro-environmental agenda from now on,” launched in November 2022 by the Brazilian Coalition.
The 33 measures outlined in the document were developed over eight months by the leaders of the network’s task forces (TFs), with contributions from all network members, the Executive Group (GX), and the Strategic Group (GE). The report was sent to ministries, governors, and elected deputies and senators in 2022. The proposals are divided according to their implementation timeline: the first day of the term, the first 100 days, and structural measures requiring attention throughout the entire administration.
Since then, the Coalition’s TFs have focused their efforts on implementing these proposals, building the necessary means for their realization or monitoring their progress in Congress and within the government.
Below are the proposals. Access the full document here.
Proposals for Day 1
Establish a Working Group (WG) to elaborate new plans for preventing and regulating deforestation in the Amazon and the Cerrado
The WG should discuss and update the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAm) and Cerrado (PPCerrado) within 120 days, as well as establish analogous plans for other Brazilian biomes (Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal, and Pampa).
Increase the representation and restore proportionality of civil society participation in collegiate bodies
New decrees are needed to reestablish equal representation between government and civil society in public socio-environmental policy councils, particularly in Conama, CONAREDD+, Conaveg, and Conabio.
Restore the governance of the Amazon Fund
Reinstating the structures governing the fund’s operation and composition is crucial to resume financing—currently holding R$ 3.2 billion in funds—reestablish relations with donors, and involve civil society and the private sector in discussions.
Resumption of Indigenous Lands (ILs) homologation
The demarcation of ILs represents the start of territorial reorganization and recognition of the role of Indigenous peoples in curbing deforestation.
Submit to the National Congress a legally binding instrument for the creation of the National Climate Authority
This autonomous body will be responsible for regulating, monitoring, and overseeing initiatives aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Fighting Against Deforestation and the Loss of Natural Resources
100 Days
1. Implement Actions for Command and Control Against Deforestation
Resume and intensify inspections, ensuring swift and exemplary accountability for identified environmental violations.
2. Accelerate Analysis of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR)
Expedite the review of rural environmental registries, create effective mechanisms to prevent the illegal use of CAR, and develop and implement a robust governance structure for the National System of Rural Environmental Registries (Sicar), clarifying the roles of federal entities in implementing the Forest Code.
3. Suspend Projects Reducing Biome and Conservation Area Boundaries
Halt legislative projects and proposals that reduce, reclassify, or eliminate conservation units, as well as those aiming to diminish or alter the typologies of biomes.
4. Promote the Demarcation of Indigenous Lands and Other Traditional Territories
Accelerate the demarcation of Indigenous Lands and facilitate land tenure regularization for traditional territories.
5. Regulate the Environmental Services Payment (PSA) Law
Enacted in January 2021, the National Environmental Services Payment Policy (Law No. 14,119/2021) must be regulated to ensure:
- Legal certainty for public or private projects, plans, or programs aimed at conserving ecosystems, water resources, soil, biodiversity, genetic heritage, and associated traditional knowledge throughout Brazil;
- An inclusive policy valuing the efforts of traditional communities, Indigenous peoples, small-scale producers, and owners of Private Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPNs);
- Minimum standards for PSA contracts ensuring socio-environmental safeguards, proof of results, and alignment with the law’s principles, guidelines, and objectives;
- Private sector participation in PSA schemes and transparency regarding contributions to the country’s international commitments.
6. Enhance the Environmental Licensing Process
Establish clear rules and procedures for environmental licensing to provide legal security for developers, incorporate climate damage into impact analysis and compensation methodologies, and strengthen environmental agencies to improve efficiency in managing socio-environmental impacts.
Term of Office
7. Reduce Amazon Deforestation Rate by 70%
Restructure and implement the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm) and the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation and Fires in the Cerrado (PPCerrado) to achieve at least a 70% reduction in current deforestation rates in both biomes during the administration.
8. Allocate 10 Million Hectares of Public Forests for Protection and Sustainable Use
Resume territorial planning by designating at least 10 million hectares of public forests, listed in the National Public Forest Registry, for protection and sustainable use.
9. Condition Land Tenure Regularization to the Forest Code Compliance
Prohibit land regularization for rural properties that fail to comply with the Forest Code, including areas with environmental liabilities in Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs), Restricted Use areas, and Legal Reserves.
10. Provide Transparent Information About Vegetation Supression
Increase transparency and rigor in authorizations for vegetation clearance (ASVs), issued by states in land-use conversion cases.
11. Enhance Data Transparency and Information Systems Integration
Promote integration of national registries into a unified land database that identifies the size, location, rights, and restrictions of each property, linking it to environmental, tax, socioeconomic, and other thematic bases.
12. Implement Traceability of Timber Forest Products
Establish an efficient command and control system for timber trade compliance in domestic and international markets. Publicly and regularly disclose authorizations and control documents for tropical timber flows, employing georeferenced tracking technology across the supply chain. Require full traceability for forest products acquired by public authorities, from production to end use.
13. Strengthen Traceability in Production Chains
Ensure alignment between CAR declarations and the boundaries and format of properties certified by the Land Management System (SIGEF) and/or registered with the respective land registry. Traceability must cover the entire property, not just the area contracted or cultivated with specific commodities.
14. Scale Up Forest Concessions
Expand the area of sustainable forest management by allocating public forests for federal and state forest concessions, as identified by law, and diversify economic activities within these concessions.
15. Increase Ambition for Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Related to Deforestation
After consulting society, propose a new national climate goal focused on land-use changes, responsible for 44% of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from deforestation.
Food Production and Fight Against Hunger
100 Days
16. Launch a National Pact for Healthy and Biodiverse Food
Develop an action plan that includes a package of tax incentives and investments aimed at sociobiodiversity value chains and the creation of bioeconomy hubs. These hubs should encompass production, industrialization, and market access for these products.
17. Reestructure the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER) Model
Modernize the public ATER model — including the National Policy on Technical Assistance and Rural Extension for Family Farming and Agrarian Reform (PNATER), the National Program for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension for Family Farming and Agrarian Reform (Pronater), and the National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Anater). Ensure a continuous training program for technicians, focusing on sustainable development and low-carbon agriculture.
18. Improve the Socio-Environmental Criteria for Granting Rural Credit
Implement the Sustainable Rural Credit Bureau (BC# Sustainability), providing incentives to producers who adopt sustainable practices and technologies. Include compliance with the Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (Zarc) as a prerequisite for rural credit approval.
19. Promote New Private Economic Instruments for the Rural Sector
Develop private rural credit instruments inspired by the credit lines of the Agricultural Plan (Plano Safra), such as the ABC+ Program and the National Program for Strengthening Family Farming (Pronaf ABC+). These should be linked to clear environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and supported by innovative financing models that attract market-based capital solutions.
The competitiveness of these “mirror” financing lines of the Agricultural Plan should rely on tax exemptions, such as waiving the Financial Operations Tax (IOF) for borrowers and the Income Tax for Individuals (IRPF) for investors, with mandatory monitoring and reporting of results to the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa).
Term of Office
20. Promote Sustainable Family Farming
Create conditions for small-scale producers, including traditional populations, quilombolas, and Indigenous peoples, to improve their production through the following actions and instruments:
- Provide credit mechanisms specifically designed to support sustainable techniques in family farming;
- Promote the integration of programs aimed at small producers, such as ATER, Bolsa Verde, and Luz para Todos;
- Reduce taxation and improve incentives for the industrialization of family farming and sociobiodiversity products;
- Develop production protocols for these products (both raw and processed);
- Create and make available infrastructure for sustainable development and product distribution, including electricity access, storage facilities, intermodal terminals, access roads, digital integration/internet resources, and more;
- Strengthen cooperatives and provide continuous training for the management of enterprises working within sociobiodiversity and family farming value chains, with attention to gender issues and youth inclusion.
21. Improve Safra Plan to Increase Investments in Low Carbon Agriculture and Climate Resilience
Prioritize investments from Plano Safra in sustainable production methods, focusing on increasing productivity and reducing emissions. A first step is the implementation of the ABC+ Plan, followed by innovative financing models that attract financial market and capital solutions.
22. Strengthen Climate Risks Management Tools for Food Security
Establish structural policies for risk management, ensuring greater predictability and increased resources for the Rural Insurance Premium Subsidy Program (PSR).
Job and Income Generation
100 Days
23. Resumption and Strengthening of the Bolsa Verde Program
Redesign the Bolsa Verde Program, incorporating innovations in the income transfer model with environmental conditionality. Provide support to associations and cooperatives of beneficiaries in covered areas to enhance income generation by strengthening sustainable bioeconomy businesses in Brazil.
Term of Office
24. Promote the Creation of a National Policy on Bioeconomy
Establish public policies and incentives focused on the bioeconomy, essential for enabling the sustainable use of biodiversity, creating jobs and markets for higher value-added chains, and generating income for family farmers, traditional peoples, and communities.
25. Foster the Silviculture of Native Species
Develop native species silviculture into a new forest economy in Brazil, achieving a scale comparable to the country’s agroindustrial and forestry sectors. This would position Brazil as a global leader in producing timber and non-timber products from native species, along with providing ecosystem services for domestic and international markets.
26. Strengthen the Landscape and Forest Restoration Sector
Secure funding for implementing public policies to restore native vegetation and structure a national program that incorporates subnational initiatives. This program should incentivize landscape and forest restoration in degraded areas for both environmental and productive purposes, leveraging the employment and income generation potential of restoration activities.
27. Invest in Renewable Energy Sources
Increase the share of non-hydroelectric renewable energy (wind, solar, biodiesel, biogas, etc.) in the national energy matrix. Focus on models that generate income for small and medium farmers, encourage the recycling industry, and boost production in isolated territories not yet served by the Luz para Todos Program.
28. Regulate and Establish the Brazilian Carbon Market
Implement a regulated carbon market in Brazil that aligns with the country’s unique characteristics while supporting the growth of the voluntary carbon market with environmental integrity. This includes avoided emissions and, more importantly, carbon removal credits derived from forest restoration.
