2030-2050 Vision: The Future of Forests and Agriculture in Brazil

[MORE INFORMATION]

Introduction (Excerpt):

Brazil has an extensive diverse territory, a strong and competitive agriculture, an extraordinary natural capital – with high biodiversity and unique ecosystem services –, and unparalleled cultural wealth. These are attributes any country would like to have and the best conditions to lead the transformations the world needs. The above-mentioned characteristics put the country at the forefront of the transition to a new economy based on the Sustainable Development Goals. However, in order to accomplish this, it is important to expand the visual field, making room for a new perspective on the opportunities to generate well-being, wealth and jobs. This means investing in innovation, science, technology, and cooperation, especially regarding sustainable forest and agriculture production models. It means to design and implement public policies and economic and financial instruments that induce and accelerate the transformations we want. The climate changes in motion represent humanity’s biggest challenge nowadays. The intensification of climatic extreme events has a direct impact on people’s lives. The extension of drought periods and increase of rainfall volume and frequency of storms, in addition to higher average temperatures in many regions, have direct effects on food and raw materials production.

In the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture’s view, it is possible to, not only face and mitigate these impacts, but also transform the climatic crisis in an opportunity for positive transformations. The path to achieving this is through fulfilling the commitments set by the country with actions that stimulate low carbon agriculture’s development, forest-based economy, and the generation of renewable
energy. At the same time, it is necessary to also reinforce legal and natural ecosystem protection’s incentive instruments.