By Lucas Guaraldo*
Expanding the implementation of the Forest Code is essential to protect agriculture and meet the climate targets set by Brazil in the Paris Agreement, points out the Pact for the Forest Code, an initiative that seeks to accelerate the application of the country’s main land use policy. On the eve of COP30, which will be held in Belém between November 10 and 21, the document highlights the connection between effective protection of the Code and climate change mitigation, as well as its role in strengthening sustainable and resilient agriculture.
“Protecting vegetation means protecting the climate and agriculture. The Code is a powerful tool in this regard, but it is still underutilized. At a time when we clearly recognize the importance of forests for food production systems, we need instruments that guarantee the conservation of native vegetation and maintain the resilience of agriculture. This is directly linked to the preservation of forests and the Forest Code,” says André Guimarães, executive director of IPAM and Civil Society Special Envoy to COP30.
The main legal framework for land use in Brazil, the Forest Code seeks to reconcile agricultural production with the protection of native vegetation. Thirteen years after its approval, the law remains a fundamental reference for the country’s sustainable development, but its implementation and large-scale enforcement still represent major challenges.
“The Forest Code Pact is a movement that unites the whole of Brazilian society towards a common goal: reconciling the conservation of our forest assets with efficient production and proper land use planning. This is what guarantees water resources and biodiversity. This is an important moment for us to move forward in the analysis of the CAR [Rural Environmental Registry] and, above all, in the environmental regularization of rural properties in Brazil,” says Jarlene Gomes, researcher and coordinator of Public Policy projects at IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute).
According to data from the Forest Code Thermometer, an IPAM tool that monitors the implementation of the law, Legal Reserve liabilities amount to 16.3 million hectares, an area equivalent to the state of Acre. These liabilities correspond to areas that should be maintained with native vegetation, but have been deforested. In addition, there are 3 million hectares that should be protected in APPs (Permanent Preservation Areas) and have also been cleared.
Joint action
The Forest Code Pact establishes clear responsibilities and roles for each actor involved in enforcing the law, with the aim of strengthening its implementation in the fight against deforestation and the protection of agriculture. The three branches of government are responsible for preventing changes to the law, reaffirming its constitutionality and ensuring legal certainty for restoration, conservation and production actions.
“This is still an agenda that needs to get off the ground. We need to validate the CAR and implement environmental recovery plans. There is a long way to go, but the faster we move forward with the Forest Code, the more we will be prepared to face climate change and, at the same time, strengthen Brazilian agriculture, which depends directly on the rainfall generated by forests,” said André Guimarães.
According to the document, federal and state governments should speed up the analysis and validation of CARs and the implementation of PRAs (Environmental Regularization Programs), valuing the remnants of native vegetation on rural properties. Rural producers and family farmers, in turn, have a responsibility to promote the environmental regularization of their properties, adhering to the PRAs and recovering their liabilities.
The text also highlights the role of the private sector, which must contribute to maintaining and monitoring production chains, and the financial sector, which must offer incentives for environmental regularization and restrict credit to those who remain irregular. Finally, it is up to civil society to accompany, support and value the implementation of the Forest Code, recognizing it as a fundamental collective asset for the country’s future.
IPAM journalist, lucas.itaborahy@ipam.org.br*