After a tumultuous campaign in which the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest to centre stage, Lula received 50.9% of the vote. It was sufficient to defeat Jair Bolsonaro, whose backers had predicted victory. Lula had been convicted of accepting a bribe from a Brazilian construction company in exchange for contracts with Petrobras, the country's state-owned oil giant. He was imprisoned for 580 days before his conviction was overturned and he was allowed to rejoin the political scene. For a politician who was incarcerated and prohibited from running in the 2018 presidential election, to win the election this year is an astounding comeback.[i] Lula was first elected president of Brazil in 2003 and served until 2010. The rate of deforestation was extremely high when Lula assumed office in 2003, and it peaked in 2004 at about 10,800 square miles. Following that, a three-point strategy to reduce deforestation was implemented by Lula's environment minister Marina Silva, who some believe will retake her position in Lula's new administration. It concentrated on enhancing the administration of public lands and land records, enforcing the law with fines and increasing state presence in the rainforest, and encouraging sustainable logging and cultivation in the Amazon. Only 1,600 square miles were lost in 2012, the least amount ever.
Source: Unsplash
Conversely, Bolsonaro's administration reduced environmental regulations and cut funding for enforcement agencies, leading to an increase in Amazon deforestation. The president has been criticised for allegedly giving illegal ranchers, gold miners, and loggers the go-ahead.[iii] According to the national space research agency, satellite data shows 8,590 square kilometres, or more than five times the area of Greater London, were destroyed in the Brazilian Amazon in the first nine months of this year, a 23% rise over the same period in 2021.[iv],[v] In defence of former president Bolsonaro’s deforestation record, at COP26 last year, Brazil signed up to a pledge to eliminate deforestation by 2030, which will see $14 billion invested worldwide.[vi]
It is possible to reduce global emissions by 18% of the 2030 target by conserving and restoring the world's forests. While doing so, care must be taken to safeguard and rebuild essential ecologies while putting local communities and indigenous peoples at the centre of the solutions. Agriculture, forestry, and land industries are essential to this. These industries account for 22% of world emissions, 50% of which are attributable to deforestation caused by the production of commodities for food, fibre, feed, and fuel. This is 12 times generated by aviation; therefore, these businesses have a similar impact on the economy as crucial industries like energy, steel, and cement. Simply said, for businesses with land-based value chains to fulfil their net-zero ambitions, zero deforestation is not a choice but a strategic imperative. Additionally, it's essential for fostering resilience in the face of problems like food security and the availability of other essential goods on which billions of people depend.[vii]
Whilst it seems like reducing deforestation should be something that no one could disagree with, it does have to be stressed that the livelihoods supported by the practice must be considered when looking to reduce it to ensure that the transition is fair on local populations.
PWC supports offset schemes around the world and says that where it focuses on developing economies, projects are designed to support significant co-benefits, such as protecting critical ecosystems and the health and livelihoods of rural communities. The Acre Amazonian Rainforest Conservation Project, which consists of three initiatives along the Purus River, Jurua River, and Valparaiso River, aims to help locals create sustainable economic livelihoods while halting deforestation across 105,000 hectares of rainforest. The emphasis is on privately owned land, working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to engage people in establishing land tenure, creating alternatives to deforestation, and providing access to educational institutions and medical facilities.[viii]
Social company Agrosolidara assists agricultural people in the Florencia municipality of Caquetá in southern Colombia to make a living from sustainably grown plants in the Amazon rainforest. The company works with more than 250 agricultural families who were forced to produce coca as their sole source of income due to Colombia's war. This production requires deforestation, so Agrosolidara aims to support more sustainable ventures. Agrosolidara now manufactures extra virgin olive oil and snacks from sacha inchi, a plant that yields seeds rich in omega-3, protein, and vitamin E, through its processing facility. Its additional goods include chestnut oil, sweet sauce produced from pineapple from the Amazon, chilli powder made from charapita, a type of pepper from Peru, and cosmetics. Similar initiatives may well be able to function in Brazil.[ix]
These considerations are important as many supply chains begin to try to achieve deforestation-free supply chains. Whilst this is an admirable pursuit, it must not be realised in a way that damages the socioeconomic conditions of local populations.
[i] BBC- Brazil election: Lula makes stunning comeback
[ii] Time- Lula's Victory in the Brazil Elections Is a Win for the Planet
[iii] Le Monde- Brazil: Deforestation in the Amazon can be traced to Jair Bolsonaro's policies
[iv] Financial Times- Brazil presidential vote sparks rush to clear more Amazon rainforest
[v] Axios- Bolsonaro's defeat is a climate turning point
[vi] BBC- COP26: World leaders promise to end deforestation by 2030
[vii] Race to Zero- The world can’t reach net zero by 2050 without ending deforestation this decade
[viii] PWC- Helping to protect and promote sustainable economic livelihoods in the Amazon
[ix] WEF- 3 ways Colombians are making an income while restoring the Amazon rainforest
Oscar is a recent graduate with a background in earth science. He is currently studying an MSc focussing on disaster responses, emergency planning and community resilience. His postgraduate research project will assess the link between climate crisis risk perception and attitudes to green energy projects. “Adapting to the climate crisis through the pursuit of net zero requires community engagement and understanding. Zero Carbon Academy’s goals closely align with this approach and I’m excited to have the opportunity to research and communicate a variety of topics relating to our environment and sustainability”.
