Brazil risks protection record by proposing changes to forest code

Less than one year ago, the Brazilian government stood proudly on the world stage as a country that would not allow development to destroy its rainforests and announced the lowest rate of Amazon deforestation on record. Brazil’s newly elected and first female president, Dilma Roussef, promised to prevent any changes in law that would allow more deforestation or give amnesty to environmental criminals. She vowed to uphold the previous government’s commitments to reducing deforestation by 80% by 2020. Yet, only a few months later, the gloss has worn off and the promises look shaky. Forest loss is climbing again and millions of hectares are on the chopping block.

According to the latest Brazilian governmental figures, deforestation in the Amazon has spiked over the last two months – an increase of more than 500% compared with the same timeframe last year. Due to clouds and rain, which prevented satellite monitoring, the state of Para that boasted the highest rates of forest loss in 2010 was largely not included in the analysis. Therefore these figures may be just the tip of the deforestation iceberg.

The Brazilian environmental minister, Izabella Teixeira, announced a “crisis team” and mobilised the Environmental Protection Agency and additional police to tackle what she called an “atypical” trend. However, the heart of the crisis beats in Brasilia.

Brazil is considering major changes to the forest code – the main law that protects the rainforest. If these changes go though they could let hundreds of forest criminals off the hook, and massively expand the amount of forest under threat from the chainsaws. The changes would threaten the obligation for landowners to leave 80% of their property forested and would grant impunity for those that have previously illegally deforested. This is the fuel that is driving the substantial increase in deforestation. Farmers are rushing to cut down forests, expecting that the new law will protect them from being punished for their past crimes. They’re also gambling that the new rules will allow them to cut down more forest in the future, and they’re getting started before the ink is even dry.

The deaths earlier this week of leading rainforest defenders José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva and his wife, Maria do Espírito Santo was a tragic reminder of what can happen when impunity is legitimised.

The vote on changes to the code in the Congress this week and the subsequent Senate vote are strongly influenced by sections of the agribusiness lobby. Yet soya export giants identify forest protection as a key part of their ability to capture international markets. The Brazilian scientific community and 10 former Brazilian environment ministers point to such changes driving considerable biodiversity loss and climate impacts, and encourage the use of millions of hectares of under-utilised and degraded lands as a clear solution to the need to increase food production.

The spotlight rests on president Roussef. If she allows the forest code to change, she will capitulate to a small, yet vocal, vested interest group and will break the very promises which ensured her presidency. The Brazilian success story of the 21st century could be undone on the eve of Brazil hosting the world at the Earth Summit (Rio+20) in 2012.

Brazil’s global reputation in the fight against deforestation and climate change is at stake. President Roussef must stop the chainsaws by keeping the current forest laws intact and getting tough with those who are clearing the rainforest right now.