Academics and experts from environmental organizations, including the Brazilian branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), released an alarming report on the Amazon rainforest on Tuesday.

According to them, 94% of deforestation in the Amazon and in the “Matopiba” region, encompassing parts of the states of Maranhao, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahía, is illegal.

A situation caused by the lack of transparency and the inability of the authorities to document, for example, the legal use of the same land by farmers, ranchers or loggers, points out the report.

According to the organizations, President Jair Bolsonaro's promise to eliminate this scourge is therefore unrealistic.

The equivalent of deforested Jamaica in one year

"The differentiation between legal and illegal deforestation is a key factor to ensure that agricultural and forestry production is not poisoned by environmental crimes", underlines the text.

Since the start of the Bolsonaro presidency in 2019, a peak in deforestation has been reached: during the twelve months leading up to August 2020, deforestation in the Amazon increased by 9.5%, destroying an area greater than that of Jamaica, according to official data.

The far-right president is under strong international pressure to restore his government's image on environmental issues.

The food industry in this country, which is one of the largest exporters of soybeans and meat, is worried about the consequences of this pressure.

Contradictions on the government side

Despite Jair Bolsonaro's promise to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030, deemed unrealistic by the report's writers, a bill easing environmental requirements for agricultural and energy projects has been approved by the Chamber of Deputies of the Brazil.

This text, which has yet to be approved by the Senate, provides in particular that a simple written promise to comply with environmental standards will be sufficient to start work to duplicate roads or power lines.

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  • Environment

  • Forest

  • Wwf

  • Brazil

  • Deforestation

  • Jair Bolsonaro

  • Planet

  • Amazonia